Compass Pretty Cure
by MrAntonio
Summary: When Princess Orianna's home is destroyed by the Machine Empire, she is forced to go to the Human World and find the Pretty Cure Warriors of Legend. Natsumi, Aki, Fuyuko and Haruka just so happen to be those warriors of legend. With their powers awakened, they team up with the Four Guardians to save the Valley of Gold.
1. A Princess's Mission!

The young princess swept her almost glowing golden hair out of her face. The hall was dark, with light only coming in through windows far behind her. She stood before two massive white doors, adorned with many intricate golden designs. She adjusted her white gown and took a deep breath. She closed her soft, pink eyes and took in another deep breath. She concentrated her hearing to the loud cheers outside the door. Her lips curled upward, her heart pulsed just a bit faster. Today was an important day. It was her birthday.

A line of light widened on Orianna's face as she opened the doors. The cheers instantly magnified many decibels. The young princess could barely hear herself think, her people were cheering so loudly. But she didn't care. She loved her people, just as much as they loved her. Princess Orianna walked out onto a large golden balcony that extended quite a ways into the crowd. She was tens of feet above her subjects, but she felt like she was nothing more than ten inches away from them.

Their supporting cheers flowed into her body, her smile becoming even wider. She finally reached the end of the balcony, walking into a space between her parents. She looked mostly like her father. He turned to her and crinkled his pale pink eyes as he smiled at her. His long arm extended outward, the cheers hushed and he opened his mouth.

"Today is an important day for this little kingdom of the valley," He said. "Today, my daughter celebrates her sixteenth year of life!"

The crowd erupted into cheers of celebration. Orianna already had a smile on her face, but the cheers, and overall happiness made it grow. It was overwhelming to have so many people support her. Orianna stepped forward, and the King gave a swift motion of his arm to silence the people.

"I just have to thank each and every one of you for attending my birthday celebration," she said. "But today is not just my birthday. I'm sharing my birthday with the people I love so much! It's not just my birthday today, it's everyone's birthday!" Orianna said, giving a small laugh, her thin, graceful hands covering her ears as the people cheered even louder. Orianna's eyes were glued to the scene before her. Her vision blurred slightly as she realized tears had formed. She stopped cupping her ears and before she got a chance to wipe the tears away she noticed something.

The cheers of joy and frivolity had changed to screams of fear and panic. There was a dull boom behind her. Orianna's golden waves were like the wind of a tornado as she spun around. An explosion sounded behind her as she stared with horror at a large, flying metallic ship made its way into the valley. Black smoke billowed from four large columns like black food coloring mixing with clear water. There was another dull boom, followed by a deafening explosion a few seconds later. The booms and explosions became more frequent, and the panic was escalating.

"GET THE PRINCESS OUT OF HERE NOW!" A guard shouted.

"PROTECT THE ROYAL FAMILY AT ALL COSTS!" A second bellowed.

The tears in Orianna's eyes were no longer those of joy. Sadness, fear, panic, anxiety; there were so many emotions and feelings inside Orianna that her body stood rigid, unmoving.

"Princess Orianna! You must come with us!" A chambermaid said, pulling at Orianna's hands. But it was as if Orianna's feet were apart of the stone bricks she stood on. She wouldn't move. Something was keeping her there.

There was a pillar of black light directly in front of Orianna, coming from the North Mountain. To Orianna's left, a pillar of white, and to her right, a pillar of deep blue. She looked over her shoulder, and her suspicions were confirmed. A pillar of red light could be seen at the South Mountain. The Four Guardians were awake.

"Please…" Orianna started. Her voice was soft, acting on it's own accord. "Help us."

A figure of vibrant red landed next to Orianna on the now deserted balcony. Fires raged on around her in the city and smoke had filled the air, but once the figure of red stood next to Orianna, it was as if nothing was happening.

"Princess," the figure said. The voice was stern, but comforting. Orianna tried to get a good look at the red figure. One second she saw a large bird, the next she saw a woman dressed in feathers.

"There's not a lot of time to explain to you what's going on," The figure continued. "But your mission is now simple."

More explosions sounded, and if the red figure said anything more to Orianna, it was not heard. Cracks webbed through the stone of the balcony, but stopped as they reached the red figure. Some of the stone on the balcony even began to corrode and crumble away. The Valley of Gold would be destroyed in minutes. The red figure opened her beak to say something more when a wide pillar of golden light erupted all around Orianna and the red figure. A faint roar echoed along with the light. The pillar soon became nothing more than a small golden thread that then flickered out of existence.

"Well that complicates things a little…" The red figure said. "Listen to me Orianna. The Valley is to be destroyed in mere moments. The other three Guardians and I are going to try and fight off these attackers. But we need you to do a favor."

Orianna said nothing, but her bouncing waves let the red figure know she was listening. The figure clapped her hands four circles winked into existence in front of Orianna. Four thin, multicolored compass needles floated above the circles that Orianna now realized were compasses.

"Take these compasses," the figure said, waving her hand. To Orianna's right a portal opened full of swirling colors of blue, yellow, pink, white and many others. "Go to the Human World and find the Pretty Cure Warriors. Once you've done that, I'll try my best to contact you again and give you more instructions. We don't have the time for me to tell you much more. Hurry, go child!"

Orianna snatched the compasses, finally regaining control of her body. She ran to the portal, but before she entered, she looked back and saw her home fall into utter ruin.

"GO!" The red figure urged. Orianna turned back around, but apparently, she was not acting quickly enough. An intense pressure on her back forced her through the portal and everything fell silent.

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure – Episode 1: A Princess's Mission! Cure Cinder Bursts into Action!_

* * *

"Go, go gogogogogogogo Yu-Ri-Na!"

"Go, go gogogogogogogo Yu-Ri-Na!"

"Swim, swim swimswimswimswimswim Yu-Ri-Na!"

"Swim, swim swimswimswimswimswim Yu-Ri-Na!"

"Swim!"

"Swim!"

"Go!"

"Go!"

The shouts echoed throughout the indoor natatorium. When the girls weren't cheering, the hard slap of hands on water could be heard as the swim team practiced. It was the first Off-Season practice both the Boys and Girls Swim Teams had. The new school year started just a week away, and it was the first practice for the first year high schoolers. It was still the spring break, but students in clubs were getting ready for all the club activities that took place in that first week of April as a last ditch effort to recruit more members.

"What are you guys all shouting about?" Yurina said, staring at them from the water.

"We're practicing our cheers!" Natsumi said, brick red hair clinging to her face, having just been in the water herself.

"Practicing cheers?" Yurina asked, getting out of the water effortlessly. The group members around Natsumi separated and fell into chatter as Yurina walked over "You're a first year, right? Minami-san?"

"Yes! That's me! Minami Natsumi!" Natsumi said.

"Nice to meet you. I'm the captain, Kawaguchi Yurina. I've heard you were quite the swimmer in middle school. I even heard you turned down being captain."

Yurina pulled off her cap, releasing whatever short, dark hair that had been trapped by it.

"I don't really see myself being a leader," Natsumi said, looking down at her feet. "I've always felt more comfortable being a supporter."

Yurina gave a small giggle.

"Well then you'd be a perfect captain. It's a captain's job to be the team's number one supporter."

Natsumi looked up at Yurina's stormy blue eyes.

"Maybe by the time I'm a third year, and being captain is offered to me, I'll have changed my mind." Natsumi said, giving a weak smile.

"Swim hard, work hard and support hard, and maybe you'll be a candidate." Yurina said, giving a small half smile. "Nice meeting you, Minami-san. Okay! Team! Time to clean up and close up. That's the end of morning practice! Be here at 4:30 for the afternoon practice! Don't be late!"

* * *

The day passed without too much going on. Natsumi headed back home to finish up some of her homework and did chores with her sister around the house. Natsumi would be living with her sister for seven years that coming June. There was quite an age difference between them. Natsumi's parents had her later in their lives, when her older sister, Hotaru, was sixteen. Natsumi had celebrated her sixteenth birthday that January. Her parents named her Natsumi, which meant "Summer Beauty," for purely ironic reasons.

The practice came and went, and Natsumi offered to help clean up and close up at the end of practice. When most of the equipment was put away, Natsumi told the other two underclassmen that stayed with her to go on ahead, that she'd finish up. Soon, she was by herself.

"Man that was one tough practice," Natsumi said. "Now I know why Shizenshima Center High School's swim team has the reputation it has."

Natsumi locked the equipment closet door and turned around to head out. There was a sudden change in the air pressure in the room. Natsumi's ears felt muffled, like someone was jamming wax or earplugs into her ears. A wide, multicolored circle opened above the pool. Natsumi couldn't hear anything at first. Light danced on the surface of the water with the miniscule waves of almost still water.

After what seemed like hours, Natsumi began to hear a faint noise coming from the circle; it got louder and louder with each second. Natsumi's ears finally popped as a girl dressed in white with long golden hair fell, screaming, into the water with a splash. The circle shrunk with incredible speed and disappeared with a barely audible _ping_.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?!" Natsumi shouted, throwing her stuff on the ground and running to the pool. The girl in white hadn't surfaced yet, but it was obvious she was alive and kicking. Literally. The girl was kicking underwater, seemingly unsure of what to do.

"Hang-hang on! I'm coming to get you!"

Natsumi dove into the water and swam after the girl, her hands cutting through the water with speed. The swimmer wrapped her arms around the girl, who was still kicking and flailing her arms, and swam back to the surface.

"_HELP! HELP! I CAN'T SWIM! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!_"

The girl was speaking in a language that Natsumi didn't understand. It sounded almost like English, but there was something about the way the girl formed the words that made it seem like it wasn't.

"Calm down! Calm down! I can swim, just let me help you, okay?" Natsumi said, removing one arm from the girl's waist to swim over to the shallow end of the pool.

"_What? You can swim? Oh, thank heavens. I thought I was about to drown._"

"I'm just letting you know right now, I don't know English, or whatever language it is you're speaking," Natsumi said.

"_I'm terribly afraid I can't understand a word you just said. Were those even words? Oh, we're at a shallow end. I can stand now, thank you._"

The girl freed herself from Natsumi's grip. She looked around the pool, unsure of what she was looking at. She finally eyed the rails that people used to get out of the water and waded over to them.

"_Is someone not going to help me out of the water? It's so empty in here. I do love the echo though._"

The strange girl stood in front of the steps and rails, literally waiting for someone to help pull her out of the water. Natsumi's brows furrowed as she swam over to the steps. She wasn't so much angry with the girl as she was frustrated at the fact she couldn't understand what the girl was saying and the fact that she seemed rather stuck up.

Natsumi grabbed the rails, and pulled herself up out of the water. A hand extended out to Natsumi the second she was out of the water. Natsumi stared at the girl's hand.

"No, you can help yourself out." Natsumi said, arms folding across her chest. The girl didn't seem to understand what Natsumi had said, but she could understand body language.

"_Help me out of the water, please!_"

* * *

Natsumi had eventually helped the girl out of the water, but because they couldn't understand one another, it took longer than it should have. Once the girl with golden hair understood what the steps were, it was easy from then. The girls dried themselves off – the strange girl using what seemed about ten towels to dry off various parts of her body – and unsure of what to do, they sat down in the small bleachers next to the pool.

"So," Natsumi started. She wasn't sure how to continue considering the girl didn't understand her.

"_I think… I think I have a something that will help us understand one another. Here,_" the girl said, taking out a small compact and opening it up. Natsumi's dark red eyes stared back at her as she looked in the small mirror.

"It's a pretty mirror." Natsumi said. The girl then placed the compact in front of her own face.

"_Speak_." She said. There was a soft, small golden light at the girl's neck. When it faded, she turned to Natsumi and smiled. "Thank you for assisting me out of the water. It was highly appreciated."

Natsumi stared at the girl; shock the only expression on her face.

"How-how did you do th-that?" She stammered

"This?" The girl said. "This is one of the Royal Family's communication compacts. It works for appearances as well." She said simply.

"Royal Family?" Natsumi asked.

"Yes, I am Princess Orianna Aneirin of the Valley of Gold Kingdom. I've been sent to this world to find something called the Pretty Cure Warriors."

"Princess Orianna…" Natsumi's words were thin, barely audible. A million thoughts were racing through her mind. Natsumi's was glad they were sitting down. Her thoughts finally collected and she looked at Orianna.

"Well, I know one thing's for sure," she started. "You definitely can't go around the looking like that."

* * *

The smoke darkened the air; the fire danced, raged and ravished the Valley. All but one member of the Royal Family had been captured. The young Princess was nowhere to be found. A sixteen-year-old girl was the Machine Empire's only threat. The Four Guardians had retreated to their mountains, as they needed to protect those more than the Valley itself. The fighting had weakened them, but they still had managed to do damage to the Machine Empire. The initial airship that attacked had been completely obliterated the second the Guardians attacked. Many more airships held them off, while the Queen's Airship remained far behind.

Jonah looked out a window from the command room. The Green General had no emotions in their eyes.

"Long live the Queen," Jonah said. Thin, dark fingers laced themselves through short, light green hair. The Green General turned around and walked to the center of the command room. A pillar of black steel stood tall, the faint figure of a woman could be seen at four points of the cylindrical pillar.

"Jonah," a metallic, almost automated voice sounded. It was feminine, cold, calculating and harsh. "Take this Industrialite bullet and find the princess. She must be captured at all costs. Under no circumstances can she be allowed to run around and be a threat to us."

"Yes, my Queen. I'll find the princess and bring her back."

Jonah's dark figure glowed with green light before vanishing seconds later.

* * *

Orianna had found a fashion magazine in the natatorium and once again used her compact to alter herself. A pale pink sweater with frills and a "u" shaped pattern of flowers on her chest that hung off her shoulders had replaced her white gown. She wore short, cropped white shorts, and a pair of thigh length pink boots. Her blond hair had dulled a little in color and was shorter than what it was before. She had a thin, red-pink belt with a large pink bow on it wrapped itself around her sweater at her waist. Lastly, a perfectly white satchel was draped over her left shoulder and was resting on her right hip.

The two girls had left the natatorium, hopped on a train and started walking down the street that lead to Natsumi's house. Natsumi explained to Orianna that she was now on the island of Shizenshima, or as tourists called it in a literal sense, "Nature Island."

"Are there any kings or queens on the island?" Orianna asked, the two girls walking down a street.

"No… Not really? The island is separated into five prefectures. There's Shizenshima North, Shizenshima South, Shizenshima East, Shizenshima West and Shizenshima Central. We're in Shizenshima South now, but we were in Shizenshima Central before we got on the train. And each prefecture has a mayor. They deal with the political laws and things like that."

"So like a king or a queen?" Orianna asked.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that…" Natsumi said.

The two were quiet for a while. Natsumi had decided to take Orianna back to her place. She wasn't sure where else to take the poor girl, exactly. Not wanting the walk to be awkward or too quiet, Natsumi attempted for more conversation.

"So… What's in that bag there?" She ventured.

"It's got some important artifacts in it." Orianna said, seeming to be unsure of what was in her bag as well.

"You said something about… finding Pretty Cure warriors? What are those?"

Orianna was silent for a while. Natsumi could see how the other girl's eyes squinted, her brows pushing downward, her fingers grabbing her chin that she was thinking.

"I've only ever heard about them in legends when I was a child. They weren't taught to me much. But as far as I know, they were warriors who protected my Valley long ago. Some say they became the Four Guardians that protect the Valley. Others say they went back to their home in another world." Orianna said, trying to think of more to say. "That's what's in this satchel of mine. These artifacts are apparently items used by the Pretty Cure Warriors."

It was all a little too much for Natsumi to take in. After all, things like what Orianna was describing belonged in books, or on TV, not in real life. However, Natsumi had no reason to not believe what the girl was telling her.

"Well I hope you find them without too much trouble." Natsumi said.

The rest of the walk went by quietly, though Natsumi didn't feel awkward around the girl. The sun was setting, and tones of orange, pink and blue blended in the sky. The street the two girls were walking on was just a few blocks away from the ocean. Natsumi could almost smell the salty spray from the ocean.

"Natsumi," Orianna said, her voice ringing with urgency.

Natsumi stopped walking and noticed that Orianna had stopped a few steps behind her.

"What's the problem?" Natsumi asked.

"I'm the problem." A voice said.

Natsumi looked around, searching for the voice. A tall, slender figure was walking up the hilly street the two girls were walking down. He (or she, Natsumi couldn't tell, even if the figure wasn't that far from them) had dark brown skin and green eyes that were almost an unnatural shade of green for human eyes. The figure had short, messy green hair with a portion of it shaved off just above the left ear. They wore a short sleeved, long green coat, the tail end of it fluttering behind the figure in the wind.

"You should have been careful with your magical use, princess." The figure's voice was somehow both feminine and masculine at the same time. Natsumi still couldn't figure out if this person was a man or a woman, but that didn't matter. The person gave off a vibe that told Natsumi they were dangerous. "It made you incredibly easy to find. Now," they said. "If you just come with me, no one will have to get hurt."

Orianna took a few steps backwards, her frame visibly shaking. Natsumi stood in between the two, looking back and forth between them.

"Orianna, do you know this guy?"

"No… I haven't the slightest idea." Orianna said with a quivering voice.

"My name is Jonah. I am the Machine Empire's Mechanic, the Green General. I'm here to take the princess to Queen Platania. That girl is a threat to the Machine Empire."

"Yo…nah? The Machine Empire? Orianna…?" Natsumi kept her gaze on the foreign girl.

"Natsumi, run!" Orianna jerked forward, snatching Natsumi's wrist before turning around and running in the opposite direction of Jonah.

"I guess we'll have to play it the hard way." Jonah muttered. The Green General pulled out a simple black gun. It looked like a toy gun, but it had one purpose: To imbue a piece of living metal with dark energy and create an Industrialite. Jonah clenched the gun with both hands, and aimed at a parked car. Jonah pulled the trigger, and the bullet slowly came to the front of the gun. Purple sparks flashed around the bullet as it began to grow. Two glowing purple eyes opened on the surface and the bullet – now the size of a beach ball – shot forward and collided with the car.

Within seconds, the car roared to life, and tripled in size. The headlights turned into the purple eyes that were on the bullet, the back wheels turned horizontally as the car monster stood upright.

"INDUSTRIALITE!" It roared.

"Orianna, what is that thing?!" Natsumi shouted in between pants as the girls ran.

"I don't know, but let's just keep running!"

"I don't think we can! That thing is already caught up to us!"

The two girls stopped running as the car monster, which had gone down on all four wheels, screeched past them as it tried to turn itself around and corner the girls.

"What do we do? Orianna, what to we do?" Natsumi said.

"I… I don't know. I haven't found the Pretty Cure Warriors yet! If I remember correctly, they have the power to take care of these things."

Natsumi was quiet, but her face seemed to say it all to Orianna.

"No. Natsumi, no! I can't do that. This is my job. For all I know, you may not even be a Pretty Cure!"

Natsumi said nothing, but the roar of the engine from the monster was too deafening for her to hear herself think of any other alternative. Jonah had appeared in front of them as well. The Green General seemed to be bored and annoyed, but they seemed determined to get their job done.

"Just let me use one of those Pretty Cure things. At least let me protect you." She said. Orianna looked at the bag, then back at Natsumi.

"O… Okay."

Before Orianna could say anything, her satchel began to glow with a warm, red light.

"Industrialite, get the princess!" Jonah ordered.

Natsumi didn't wait for Orianna to give her the compass. She shoved her hand into the bag, grabbed the first thing she could find. It was a compass with a red, glowing needle sitting on the face of the compass. The car was about to slam into the girls. Natsumi shoved the princess away and faced the car. The right light grew harsher and seemed to create an invisible dome around Natsumi. The car couldn't get close to her. Natsumi heard a voice speaking in her head. Each word got louder and louder before she finally felt the need to shout them out herself.

"**Pretty Cure! Direction Change!"** She shouted. She flicked the needle and it spun twice before landing on an "S." "**South!"**

Instantly, Natsumi was engulfed in a fiery red light. She spun around, red fiery energy collecting on her torso. A red and white vest with two white shoulder straps appeared, stopping just above her bellybutton. Red fire clung to her waist, forming a pair of red compression shorts. Natsumi spun around as a white skirt appeared around her waist. It didn't wrap entirely around her waist though, so the pants underneath could still be seen. She flung her arms around, energy collecting on them and instantly bursting away to reveal two fingerless white gloves with thin, red piping. Red light slid up her legs, stopping just below her calf on her right leg. The light on her left leg, however went up to mid thigh. The light faded into two white socks and instantly her feet were swarmed with red energy. The red light burst apart to reveal two red, baggy boots that rose just above her ankles.

Her red hair glowed and began to flicker and rage like it was fire itself. A red band of energy appeared, putting her fiery hair into a pony tail. The light surrounding her hair burst away to reveal a pony tail that pointed out in four directions, like an "X." A light red bow tied itself together on her chest, a bright ruby red orb sitting on the knot. Lastly, a red orb flew down from above and attached itself to the left side of her hip. It burst into a red pouch with a small tongue of flame on the cover. Inside was her compass. She spun around, flames dancing around her before she struck a heroic like pose.

**"The Fiery Southern Bird! Cure Cinder!"**

The light died down and Orianna, lying on the ground looked at Natsumi, who was now Cure Cinder.

"It… It actually worked." She said, her words full of disbelief.

Cure Cinder charged for the Industrialite, which had now stood on its back wheels. The two parried one another for a few moments.

"_This feels… so natural to me._" Cinder thought. The two exchanged one more blow before Cinder jumped backwards in an elegant arch, giving herself some distance between herself and the monster.

"This is me now?" She asked, finally taking in the transformation that had just taken place.

"Don't just stand there, you stupid car! Destroy her!" Jonah shouted.

Cinder's reflexes had dramatically increased, she noticed. She matched the Industrialite's attack. The car monster sounded its horn, emitting a sound that felt like it would burst Cinder's eardrums. She lowered her arm that had blocked the monster's attack and covered her ears. The car took the opportunity, slamming its wheel into Cinder's stomach, sending her backwards.

"Cure Cinder!" Orianna shouted.

The girl in red was motionless for a few heart-stopping moments. Orianna realized she had been holding her breath, only letting it go when she noticed Cinder began to move. A bright red fire surrounded Cure Cinder, and she charged at the Industrialite once again. Cinder punched as hard as she could into the monster's "face," causing it to fall backwards. Once again, Cinder's head was filled with words that she knew she must speak. She grabbed her compass from the pouch on her waist and held it in front of her. The white face of the compass began charging a red light.

"**Pretty Cure! Cinder Flame!"** She shouted.

Fire erupted from the compass and engulfed the car monster completely. The monster too began to glow with red light, before exploding into red-white smoke. Once the smoke cleared, the car returned to the way it was before. Cinder looked around for Jonah, but didn't see the Green General anywhere.

* * *

"Natsumi! I can't believe you're a Pretty Cure Warrior! Oh, I knew it was fate working when I met you!" Orianna squealed with glee as she threw her arms around the now normal Natsumi.

"Yeah, I can't believe I it either." Natsumi said, staring down at the compass. It was made of a polished, brown wood that was a little bigger than Natsumi's palm. The face of the compass appeared to be made out of marble, or some kind of stone. There were four letters on the compass: "N," "S," "E," and "W," each letter a different color. The needle rested in the center of the compass, still pointing downwards to the "S."

"Alright... Let's think of an excuse to make sure you have a roof over your head." Natsumi said.

* * *

"You want to do what, again, Natsumi?"

Nastumi tried her best to look her older sister in the eyes. The two looked similar enough, but Hotaru had brown hair, though the two shared the same dark red eye color.

"I… Have an exchange student with me, and apparently at the last minute, her host family pulled out. I got to talking with her today, and we became quick friends! So, I-I, uh, offered our place for her to stay?" Natsumi said, rubbing the back of her head. Hotaru was quiet for a few moments, arms folded, her finger tabbing her upper arm.

"Kazu!" Hotaru shouted.

A few moments later, a tall, thin man with messy black hair and wire glasses over his surprisingly bright green eyes stood behind Hotaru.

"What's up, hun?"

"Natsumi?" Hotaru said.

Natsumi took in a deep breath before speaking once again.

"Long story short, the exchange student that was coming this year doesn't have a host family anymore, and I offered our house for her to stay."

"Really? That's great, Natsumi!" Kazu said.

"Kazuhito!" Hotaru protested. Seeing that she was outnumbered, Hotaru sighed. "Fine, she can stay with us."

"Yay! _Thank you very much!_" Orianna said, appearing from behind Natsumi.

"Oh, so you're from America? Or London? Your accent is pretty strange." Kazu said. The four all went back into the house.

* * *

Preview:

Natsumi: So what does being a Pretty Cure mean?

Orianna: I'm not sure.

Natsumi: How long am I going to be doing this for?

Orianna: I'm not sure.

Natsumi: I'm sure it'll be fun though!

Orianna: Hey, who are those people on your mantle?

Natsumi: Who? …Oh. Those are my parents.

Next time on _Compass Pretty Cure_: "Smiling Bird, Golden Flower! Natsumi and Orianna's New Friendship!"


	2. Natsumi and Orianna's New Friendship!

The Control Room was always dark, even with half the room being windows. It was in the shape of a perfect circle, and was half the size of an American football field. Six, equally spaced, identical doors lined the one half of the dark room, serving as entrances and exits to the Control Room. The whole room was built out of a dark, perfectly polished metal. Though the light was minimal in the Control Room, one could see the glint of the metal in the room if they tried hard enough.

The doors lead out to a short balcony a few yards in length that had two sets of stairs, with six steps in each. The stairs lead down the main floor, which had long, curved desks with dozens of computers on top. The main floor took up just over half of the entire room, and stopped there.

A long, slender plank of metal stretched out past the halfway point in the room from the main floor. Nothing was beneath it except the windows that took up the other side of the room. At the end of that plank of metal stood a dark pillar, with the faint impression of a woman on it. The shape jutted out as if a woman was actually mummified behind the metal, arms crossing over her chest just like a mummy. Two orbs fitted to look like eyes were all that adorned the woman's face. The woman stuck out of the pillar in three other places, each impression identical to the next.

The two "eyes" glowed with a harsh, green light.  
"Jonah." The metallic voice sounded from inside the pillar, cold, emotionless and monotone. Greens and browns flurried past the pillar, metamorphosing into a tall, lanky, androgynous human.  
"My Queen." Jonah said.  
"What is it that you have found for me?"

The thing about listening to Queen Platania was that because her essence was encased in the pillar standing before Jonah, her tone of voice never made it through. The being of darkness trapped before Jonah had been sealed in that pillar for a long time, though she only recently woke up. It was obvious she was still getting used to speaking in such a manner.  
"There's been a…development with the princess." Jonah said, hesitant. Queen Platania was quiet for a moment before she spoke again.  
"And what would that be?"  
"The princess," Jonah started. The Green General wasn't sure how to continue, even though the Queen had no way to express her anger at this point. "Found something called a… Pretty Cure Warrior."

Queen Platania was silent for an even longer amount of time. "Stop her before she finds more." She said curtly.  
"I'll stop the Princess, Your Highness." Jonah said. In a twister of green and brown, The Mechanic vanished.

Deep inside the pillar, a dark blue figure of a wrinkled, decrepit woman was hunched over, her arms clutching her shoulders tightly. Her legs were bent, her knees pressing against her chest. She managed to move her baldhead up, one dark red eye looking at the black metal in front of her.  
"Pretty Cure… They must be stopped… I must have my vengeance on the Golden One." Her voice was old, feeble, but hateful, the words quiet as a whisper. But a whisper that was spoken so convincingly like it could escape the confinement and find a way to make the words a reality.

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure – Episode 2: Smiling Bird, Golden Flower! Natsumi and Orianna's New Friendship!_

* * *

"Natsumi!" Hotaru called. "Wake up! You're going to be late for practice!"

Muffled noises came from upstairs, and soon the patting of hurried footsteps could be heard patting down the stairs. Natsumi jolted across the room, snatching up her practice bag and her sandels. She raced past Hotaru, giving her a fast peck on the chin before speaking.  
"I'll be back in time for dinner! Bye Hotaru!" She half shouted. Within seconds, the door was flung open. Hotaru sighed as she walked to the front door.  
"That girl _never_ closes the door behind her," Hotaru mumbled.

The house was big enough for the now four members living in the house, though small enough that the two bedrooms the house had were upstairs. The house was on a small, sloping hill. The neighborhood was full of houses, and it was located just shy of being considered beach houses. The bottom floor of the house was one large room, but was considered as two because of what was found in it.

Towards the front of the house, the kitchen was set up, the stairs leading to the second floor found just a foot past the front door. The kitchen was small, with a plain white table set up with four chairs. It had a clichéd checkerboard black and white tiling, and to Hotaru's request, was painted a shade of light green. A few more steps lead to the living room, which was darker in color, but just as warm and inviting. Kazu lounged on the couch, watching the television while Hotaru cleaned the house.

Orianna sat on a padded windowsill, almost like a little reading nook, with the window open in the room she shared with Natsumi. She took in a deep breath of the island breeze. Even here, she could smell the exotic scents of the island. Her golden waves flickered in the soft wind. She liked it here… But she was homesick. She looked over at the white bag full of the PreCompasses. She closed her eyes, her chest expanding, taking in one more deep breath. She got up and softly headed downstairs.

"Hotaru…?" She said, hesitant. Hotaru's small ponytail bobbed as she turned around. She really did look like an older, more tired version of Natsumi.  
"Hey, Orianna. Could you hand me that broom right next to you?" She asked absentmindedly, turning to something else.  
"…Don't you have a servant to clean this up?" Orianna asked innocently.  
"What? Don't be crazy! I couldn't afford a maid even if Kazu and I both picked up a part time job on top of our full time jobs. We save big time that way anyway." Hotaru said, turning to Orianna and scrunching her face in a playful manner. "The broom?" She said, pointing at it.

"Oh, right, sorry." Orianna said, taking the broom and placing it gently in Hotaru's hands.  
"Did you need something, Orianna?" Hotaru asked.  
"N-no. I'm fine, actually. I just… wanted to thank you for letting me stay." The princess said.  
"Not a problem," Hotaru said, giving a small, but happy smile.

She looked around the house. It seemed to be enough for these three people. Orianna thought that she should set up more homes like this for her people when she got back home… if she ever got back home. Kazu had fallen asleep in the living room, so Orianna felt the need to explore, not that she understood much of what the television was. It had a soft, navy carpet and two large French doors that lead to the backyard. They let in a lot of natural light, and there were only a couple lamps in the room.

The hearth was sandy beige stone held together by similar sandy beige cement. There was a small mantel above the fireplace. There were a little under a dozen photos lining it. All but two of them were of a smiling Natsumi at varying ages. One was a picture of Kazu and Hotaru at their wedding, and the other was Natsumi, Hotaru and two people Orianna hadn't seen before, a man and a woman. The woman had a small, but happy smile on her face, her greying brown hair pulled into a loose bun at the base of her neck. She had a content joy in her eyes. Orianna guessed that even though the woman may not be smiling all the time, her eyes told someone how happy she was. The man, on the other hand, was smiling so widely that his eyes practically closed. He had a grey moustache and peppered hair slicked back. He was a bit on the heftier side, but a joy for life was present in his face and his body.

"Who are these two people? In this picture here?" Orianna asked. Hotaru walked into the room and saw what picture Orianna was pointing at. Hotaru gave a sad smile.  
"That is a picture of mine and Natsumi's parents. It was taken when Natsumi was… about four or five years old." There was a somber tone in Hotaru's voice. Orianna figured she shouldn't press.  
"I see. You and Natsumi look so much a like, yet each of you look like only one of your parents."  
"Yeah, I'm practically the spitting image of our mom. I get that a lot. Natsumi definitely looks like our Dad, but don't make that comparison or she'll fight you on it."  
"Fight me?" Orianna said, concern ringing in her voice.

"Haha! Yeah," Hotaru said, pausing as she realized Orianna's concern. "Verbally, not physically. She'll tell you you're crazy and that she doesn't see it is all." Orianna smiled, but didn't say much more.  
Hotaru walked back into the kitchen and Orianna looked longingly back at the family picture. Seeing Natsumi's parents made her realize how much she missed her own.

* * *

Orianna stepped out of the bathroom. It was a rather severe adjustment for her to bathe without someone helping her. This world, this place she lived in now was different than her home. Here, she was just a regular person. And it was taking some getting used to. Natsumi had explained to her how people in this world bathed to an extent. Orianna insisted she aide her, but Natsumi harshly protested.

Natsumi was lying on her stomach, in simple red pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt reading a book, when Orianna entered the room.  
"Are you getting used to how regular people take baths?" Natsumi asked, not looking up from a book she was reading.  
"It's…going to have to take some getting used to." Orianna confessed. She recalled the picture on the mantel from earlier. Her rosy lips spread into a smile as she remembered how happy everyone looked in the photo.  
"If you don't mind my asking," Orianna started. Natsumi didn't look up, but Orianna could tell the girl was listening. "But where are your parents?"

Pages were held taught as Natsumi's fingers clutched the edges of the book. Orianna, dressed in a pink robe, sat down as she loosened her hair from the towel she wrapped around it.  
"Natsumi? Did you hear me?" Orianna asked.  
"I heard you." Natsumi said sharply. "It's… not something I like talking about." She said.  
Orianna shook her hair with her fingers, loosening the tangles before pressing the towel on her hair.  
"You're almost lucky not to ha-"  
"Don't say that," Natsumi interrupted. The redhead had shot up in her bed, her brick red eyes fiercely staring at Orianna. "Never say that not having parents is lucky."  
"I'm sorry, I didn't…" Orianna's voice trailed off. "Are you… Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"Good night, Orianna." Natsumi said, flinging her sheets off and hopping under them. Pulling the sheets up above her head, Natsumi turned to face the wall, her back to Orianna.

* * *

Orianna didn't sleep well that night. The morning broke and she hadn't ever felt herself drift into sleep. What Natsumi had said the night before bothered her a little bit. How could this girl bring her in to her home? Orianna knew next to nothing about the girl. But it also didn't seem like Natsumi wanted to talk much about anything either. What was even stranger to Orianna, was how much Natsumi's comments were bothering her. She wasn't used to people being so upset with her. And if they were, it was most likely a result of misdirected anger. Nothing personal. Orianna was staring at the dark wall when she heard Natsumi's alarm go off. Had she heard it the day before? She couldn't remember. She did know that it was early. Too early, in fact, for Natsumi to be waking up for her morning practice.

She heard Natsumi moving around in her bed, the wood softly creaking as she walked over to the window. The window squeaked open and a rather chilly morning breeze wafted into the room. Orianna peeked a glance at Natsumi. She was sitting on the large, low windowsill; the cushion underneath her had purple tropical flowers on it. Natsumi took in a deep breath. The sky was still dark, though streaks of orange from the morning sun could be seen.

"Do you always get up this early?" Orianna asked quietly. She almost expected Natsumi to jump at her sudden question, but the redhead kept her eyes looking out the window, unfazed.  
"I knew you didn't sleep last night," Natsumi said, just as softly. "I heard you tossing and turning a lot... I didn't mean to be so rude before going to bed." The silence between them wasn't awkward. It was a silence of understanding, like the two girls knew they didn't need to say anything more, but they were going to.

"Natsumi," Orianna started after a while. "Not…not that it's any of my business. But where _are_ your parents? Why do you live with Hotaru and not your mom and dad?" Orianna's voice was hesitant, not wanting to anger Natsumi again. Instead, Natsumi sighed deeply.

It was a sad sigh, a sigh that carried a lot of weight because of the story behind it. A sigh with pain, but at this point, had acceptance to the pain.  
"When I was about six or seven, my parents and I moved to this island," Natsumi said, turning to face Orianna. "My parents made a big risk. They'd been thinking about living here forever. They were actually going to move here before I was born. But, I wasn't exactly planned. Hotaru was already sixteen when I was born. So we stayed in the city for a while to at least let Hotaru finish high school and university. She met Kazu right before we moved out here."

Natsumi paused, sighing the exact same sigh again.  
"So when we moved out here, my parents decided they wanted to buy a boat. Hotaru still lived in the city, so they left me with a baby sitter one night because they wanted to have a date on their boat." Natsumi's words began to tighten as she spoke. Orianna was sitting up fully now, taking in a breath as she realized she hadn't been breathing. "They didn't know it was supposed to storm. Or maybe they did, but they figured they could have gone out on their boat and then returned home before the storm set in, I don't know." Natsumi said.

Orianna said nothing. She wanted to say something, she wanted to say everything, but she knew she shouldn't have. "We'd been living on the island for about a year, so they knew how quickly storms set in on this island." Natsumi seemed to be speaking to someone else, rather than Orianna with that comment. She wasn't looking at the Princes anymore either, rather, just staring at some pocket of space as she remembered details she didn't want to tell Orianna.

"Long story short, the storm hit hard and it hit fast. And…" Natsumi's voice trailed off. But she didn't need to say anything more. Orianna understood.  
"Natsumi, I'm so sorry."  
"Yeah, people are when they hear that. But if there's one thing that Hotaru and I have learned from out parents is to not let the negatives get us down or hold us back. We learned to celebrate their lives, rather than grieve and miss them. Anyway, that's how Hotaru became my legal guardian. I owe her so much. She uprooted her life to come out here and take care of me. It's been like this for eight years almost."

Orianna wondered how she could have been so insensitive the night before. She'd only been away from her parents for a few days, and she was thinking how lucky she was that she didn't need to hear them tell her all about being royalty or nag at her, or just parent things. Natsumi had been without them for eight years.

"Well," Orianna said. "I hope you don't mind adding a member to your family." The Princess got out of her bed and sat gently next to Natsumi, pulling her into her arms. "Looks like I need you more than I originally thought." The Princess said. "I'll be your best friend."  
"I'd like that," Natsumi said, retuning Orianna's hug.  
"Great! Now that that's settled, maybe I can get some sleep!"  
"Wait, just one thing, Orianna." Natsumi said, the two girls letting go of one another.  
"What's that?"  
"This…Cure Cinder business? What's that all about?"

Orianna went quiet again, her face now scrunched in thought.  
"I've only ever heard about Pretty Cure in stories. I've never really seen what they're capable of," Orianna said, her words slow, thoughtful, drawing on memories of her childhood. "My parents would occasionally tell me about them. They're usually only called upon during times of great distress. Their power stems from the Four Guardians of my kingdom. They protect not only the royal family, but also the world from forces of darkness. Other than that, I don't know that there's anything else to know about them."

Natsumi had been staring at the compass on her desk just next to the windowsill. The polished wood and shimmering marble could be seen easily in the growing morning light. Next to it, the red needle that glowed with warm light in the semi-dark room.  
"Well I guess I have no choice but to take this head on. I don't have to do this by myself, do I?" Natsumi asked.

"No, which brings me to my next point," Orianna answered. "We've got a team to build!"

* * *

Jonah stood on the beach, letting the waves wash over their feet. The morning sun was almost fully up, dowsing everything in an orange light. Jonah scowled.

"Who needs all of this? Light can be created to sustain life. No one really needs a big ball of it in the sky." Jonah said. The Green General pulled another Industrialite bullet from one of the many pockets on their jacket, the cold black gun in their left hand. Jonah placed the bullet in the gun and turned around to face a tall street lamp that lined the wall separating the road from the beach.  
"Industrialite! Enemy of Nature! Take your form!" Jonah shouted, pulling the trigger.

The bullet slowly came to the front of the front of the gun, and before it was ejected from the gun, it grew in size, purple electricity crackling around it. Two glowing purple eyes opened at the front of the bullet before it went flying into the street lamp. The lamp became a grotesque shade of green before bending and writhing as it transformed into an Industrialite.

Two arms protruded from the pole about three quarters of the way up, and instead of hands it had two light bulbs that looked more like spear heads. Two hulking legs also stuck out from the pole, its huge feet cracking the ground as it took steps. Its head was the light that hung over the streets, though the stem was shorter and thicker, and the light was looking straight ahead with those purple eyes.

"Go, Industrialite! Destroy everything natural in this world!" Jonah ordered.

* * *

The warm light that the Spirit Needle was giving off suddenly dyed the room in vermillion light.

"What's going on with the needle?" Natsumi asked. As soon as she asked her question, a faint roar could be heard from their window. Natsumi and Orianna locked eyes with one another.  
"You don't think…" Natsumi didn't finish her sentence.  
"This early in the morning?" Orianna complained. "I was finally going to get some sleep!"  
"I guess you'll have to get some sleep later, we've got to go!" Natsumi said, snatching up the compass and needle and racing out of her room.

The beach luckily wasn't too far from Natsumi's house, though running there did take some time. The two girls were out of breath by the time they saw the lamp post monster stomping around, spewing beams of dirty green light from the bulbs it had for hands everywhere. It was destroying just about everything it could.

"Stay back, Orianna!" Natsumi said.  
"Ah, I should have known you would arrive." Jonah said. Natsumi looked over to the water on her right. The Green General was standing just out of reach of the water.  
"You again!"  
"Me again."  
"Natsumi, just transform!"

"**Pretty Cure! Direction Change! South!"** Natsumi placed the needle in the center of the compass and flicked it, the needle spinning a few times before landing on the "S" of the compass. In a flash of red light, Natsumi stood, transformed.  
"**The Fiery Southern Bird! Cure Cinder!"** Cinder shouted, striking a pose.

The Industrialite wasted no time. As soon as Cinder appeared, it charged towards her, realizing what a threat Cure Cinder was to its mission. Cinder met the monster's blows, crossing her arms in front of her face to defend. The red warrior was tiny compared to the Industrialite, but she was able to hold her own. Fists met glass and metal as Cinder fought. The monster advanced on Cinder, causing her to back up as it landed punch after punch. Cinder gritted her teeth, her heels digging into the loose sand beneath her. She wobbled with each punch, trying hard to keep her balance.

The Industrialite paused for a moment, leaving Cinder confused. Dark green light swelled within the bulb-hands of the monster. A split second later, a wild beam of the green light burst from the bulbs, heading straight for Cinder. The beam engulfed Cinder, knocking the girl off of her feet and forcing her backwards.

"Cinder!" Orianna cried, her own feet slipping in the sand as she ran towards the fallen Cure. "Cinder, get up!"

Jonah looked on a slack face. Jonah turned back towards the Industrialte after verifying that the Cure was out for a few moments.  
"Don't just stand there. Continue what you were told to do." Jonah's voice wasn't that convincing, but the monster obeyed anyway.

Meanwhile, Cure Cinder's eyes fluttered open. The beam hit her hard. Her breaths were shallow, but she was alive.  
"Man, this is going to take some getting used to." Cinder said with a raspy voice.

"I know," Orianna said, grabbing Cinder's arm and helping the warrior up. "But use right now as more practice. This will all get a little easier when we find the rest of the team." Orianna was surprisingly calm, though she was speaking a little hurriedly. Cinder finally got back up on her feet. The Industrialite was stomping around; sending beams every which way it could fire them. It was preoccupied, and Cinder had an advantage.

Red flames began to flicker around Cinder's body, starting from her fists before swallowing her figure.

"**Cinder Rocket!"** Cure Cinder shouted, thrusting her feet into the ground and literally taking off like a human rocket. Like before, Cinder crossed her arms in front of her face as she slammed into the back of the monster. The Industrialite toppled over, a beam of green light escaping in an askew direction.  
"**Cinder Impact!"** Cure Cinder's fists were now basketball-sized balls of flames. She threw the balls down, both of them exploding on impact.

Cinder jumped off the monster, giving herself some distance. She was out of breath, but the smirk on her face showed that she was determined to finish this quickly.

"Looks like we got you ag-" Cinder didn't get to finish her sentence as the Industrialite whacked her away, the girl splashing into the water.  
"Note to self, don't talk, just do." Cinder said, getting to her feet once again. Grabbing the compass from the pouch on her hip, Cinder placed it in front of her, both arms extended. Her fingertips were white as she gripped the compass, letting energy flow into it. The marble face began to glow with red light. The Industrialite was also charging up its own attack. Cinder had to make this quick.

"**Pretty Cure! Cinder Flame!"**

Brilliant, white-hot flames erupted from the face of the compass. The Industrialite didn't have time to set its own attack on Cinder. Flames licked the monster, swallowing it whole. Before long, the monster exploded into red smoke.

"Tch." Jonah disappeared in a gust of green wind.

* * *

Any and all damage done by the monster had been restored and the sun was fully in the sky now. The dark hues of blue had been replaced with soft, bright blues. The ocean glittered in the sunlight, the occasional cloud casting a shadow as it floated in the sky. Shizenshima South was awake and bustling with people as they prepared to get their day into full swing.

Meanwhile, Orianna and Natsumi were resting in their beds after their jam-packed morning. Both of them had taken short naps, apparently only needing a couple hours of sleep before returning to their usual energetic selves.

"It's unlike you to miss morning practice, Natsumi." Hotaru said, talking over the sizzle of the eggs cooking on the stove.  
"Orianna and I had a late night talking." Natsumi lied.  
"What, no we did-" Orianna didn't get to finish her statement as Natsumi clapped her hand over the girl's mouth. With her free hand, she put her index finger in front of her lips. Orianna nodded.  
"I mean, yeah, we talked a lot. We were getting to know each other a little better." Orianna said, a small smile creeping on her face.

"If she is going to stay with us for a year, might as well be her best friend, right Hotaru?"  
"I like the sound of that." Hotaru said, sliding eggs on to Natsumi and Orianna's plates.  
"I think we'll be best friends for life." Orianna said.

* * *

Preview:

Natsumi: Woo hoo! It's the first day of school Orianna! Are you ready!  
Orianna: I-I guess so! But won't we be separated all day?  
Natsumi: What do you mean?  
Orianna: Well I've only ever had private tutors teach me.  
Natsumi: Oh boy. You're in for something different, that's for sure.  
Orianna: Well now what do you mean?  
?: She means, you're going to public school!  
Orianna: Wait, who are you?!

Next time on _Compass Pretty Cure!: _"The First Day of School! Cure Chrome's Steely Arrival!"


	3. Cure Chrome's Steely Arrival!

"Ooooorrrriiiannnaaaa! Wake up! Wake up, it's time for school," Natsumi said, excitement ringing in her voice.

The princess rolled over in her bed to face Natsumi, her hair a tangle of pale golden threads. "What time is it," Orianna muttered, a pale fist rubbing her eyes.

"It's time to get up and get ready for school! It's the first day, and I want to get there early." Natsumi's voice trailed away from Orianna as the girl walked over to the closet.

Orianna had stopped listening to Natsumi ramble on, and was staring at the pale blue ceiling. She was never used to having a set time to wake up back in the Valley of Gold. Sure, she had a curfew, but that just meant she had to be back inside the castle walls at a certain time of the night. This land was different with its bedtimes and wake up times. It was a strange construct that Orianna wasn't sure she'd ever get used to.

"Why do I need to get up anyway? And why do I need a uniform? Shouldn't the private tutors be coming to us instead? And wasn't the first day yesterday with that ceremony we went to?" Orianna turned back over in her sheets.

"What? No," Natsumi said. "That's not how it works here. At least, that's not how it works for people that aren't rich." Natsumi walked over to Orianna's bed, clutched the sheets and flung them off the other girl. "We have to go to public school. Now hurry up. We need to eat breakfast still and then we need to get out of here. It's a 20 minute train ride to Shinzenshima Central!"

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure – Episode 3: The First Day of School! Cure Chrome's Steely Arrival!_

* * *

The uniform was simple enough, though Orianna wouldn't dare wear something like it back home. Over the plain, white button up was a deep, sea green blazer with white piping along the collar, buttons and the cuffs. There was a pocket on the left breast with a large, elaborate Compass Rose pointing not only in the four main directions, but northwest and east, and southwest and east. An old English "C" was placed on top of the Compass Rose. Orianna liked it well enough, though the skirt was her least favorite part about it.

It ended just above her knees and was a horrible shade of beige.

"Beige is such an ugly color," Orianna said, staring at the skirt, her vision bouncing slightly as the train made its way to the Central Station. "Like, it's making me a little nauseated to look at this." To complete the uniform, there was a pink and red bowtie. "But at least these bow ties make up for that. I quite like pink and red."

"Well, then don't look at the skirt," Natsumi said, staring out the window across from their seat. She saw Orianna pinching the skirt with her thumb and her index finger a few times, as if she were trying to have as little contact with it as possible, despite it being on her person. "You must take your fashion very seriously."

"Well, being a princess, I have to." Orianna decided it was best to not complain about the skirt any longer. She could tell that it was quickly getting old and she didn't want to bother Natsumi. It wasn't her choice to pick such an ugly color. And it wasn't like her friend could change the color of the school uniform.

The train finally entered the Central Station, the loud screeching of the breaking wheels was heard throughout the compartment Orianna and Natsumi sat in.

"What a ghastly sound," Orianna said, wincing at the noise.

"Did you say something?" Natsumi asked, standing. She grabbed her black leather school bag, and put it on like a backpack, rather than carrying it by the handle.

"No, nothing," Orianna said, grabbing her bag as well. But before she stood she took out her golden compact. Once they were out of the train, she opened the compact and began to examine and fix her appearance as she saw fit.

"Be careful not to run into anyone doing that," Natsumi said absentmindedly. She had been making the trek up the gradual hill for a week now. She didn't see the need to pay much attention either. The road was sparse, though other students were making their way up the hill to get to school as well. The two had left early enough that the road wasn't too congested, though there were still a good amount of students in the road.

"I wonder what a public school is like. We have one in the Valley, but I only ever made an appearance there once. And it was really on behalf of my father…"

"Hmm…" Nastumi responded.

"…He was sick that day. We were making a donation because the headmaster of the school so kindly asked us…"

"Oh yeah?"

"…Replace the poor desks. But my father decided he wanted to renovate–"

"Wait, Orianna, watch–"

_CRANNNNGG._

Natsumi had spoken too late. Orianna, who had still been looking at the mirror in her compact, ran into another girl.

"Hey! Gaaah," The girl said harshly. On the ground laid a contorted sculpture of metal ribbons. It was intact; though it was obvious the sculpture was slightly out of shape.

"Goodness! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there, are you okay?" Orianna snapped her compact shut. Neither girl had fallen down, though the other girl was gripping on to the railing along the sidewalk.

"No! I'm not fine," The girl said harshly, staring at her sculpture. "I had worked all week on that, too!" She said loudly. Her breaths became slightly quicker, and anxiously she clutched the bangs of her silvery grey hair.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Orianna offered. The other girl was silent for a while, her chest rising and falling rapidly still. Squatting, the girl studied her sculpture, placing it on the stand she had welded to the bottom.

"Actually," she said, taking her time to find her words, her breathing becoming a little more regulated. "It looks better this way." She picked it up and stood, looking over at Natsumi and Orianna. She had light, cinnamon brown colored skin; an obvious sign she was of a native family to the island.

"I'm glad it wasn't completely ruined then! My name is Minami Natsumi," Natsumi said cheerfully, extending her hand to the other girl. She was smiling so widley that her eyes were almost closed.

"And I'm Orianna Beaumont. Again, I'm terribly sorry for knocking your sculpture out of your hands."

Stormy grey eyes darted back and forth between Natsumi and Orianna.

"Nishi Akiko," she said finally, extending her hand. She shook Natsumi's hand quickly before letting go to wrap her arm around her sculpture. "Nice to meet you both. Beau…mont? Is that French?" Aki asked.

"Yeah, but she's a transfer student from America," Natsumi said, almost a little too quickly.

"Oh… I didn't know we were getting a transfer student this year," Aki said.

* * *

Jonah twisted the wrench; hands working on autopilot as they did some minor tune ups to the ship. It was one of Jonah's favorite activities. Mindlessly fixing things, letting their hands go to work. It gave Jonah some time to think. Though all the Green General could think about was how twice the same Pretty Cure Warrior defeated them.

"Cure Cinder…" Jonah said, their words airy and breathy.

"Is that the name of the Cure that's been beating you, Yo-Yo?"

A cloyingly sweet, high-pitched voice came from behind Jonah. The Mechanic stopped twisting the wrench and looked over their shoulder.

"Please don't call me Yo-Yo," Jonah said, annoyance ringing in their voice. "And yes, that is the name of the only Pretty Cure Warrior that has been awakened so far."

A young girl of maybe nineteen was leaning up against the wall behind Jonah in the room they were working in. Long, shining black hair was pulled up in to a ponytail, a long white ribbon spiraling around her hair. She wore a dark grey button up with grey piping along her collar and cuffs. The shirt was tucked into a black skirt that was buttoned up just above where her belly button would be. Black knee high boots covered her calves, and a loose, black tie was around her neck, a silver star pin the only decoration on her person. She seemed like a simple enough girl. But the one thing disconcerting about this girl were her eyes.

It was impossible to tell her irises from her pupils, they were so black. They were intimidating, though hardly lifeless. There was something almost evil dancing in her eyes. She had a light shade of pink eye shadow on her eyes, as if to liven up her pale skin.

"And Queen Platania hasn't disposed of you yet? For losing to that girl twice already?" Noire teased.

Jonah ignored the girl, choosing to go back to working on the ship.

"I bet they really aren't that hard," Noire continued. Jonah's arms stopped moving. The mop of messy green hair turned back to Noire.

"Well, if you're so confident you can beat her," Jonah said. "Why don't you go and fight her yourself?"

Noire's smirk curled upwards into a mischievous smile. She brought a piece of square, black metal up to her chin, an odd purple glint could be seen when light hit the surface.

"I thought you'd never ask, Yo-Yo." Noire snapped the fingers of her free hand, disappearing in a puff of sickeningly sweet smelling, black smoke.

* * *

Akiko, Natsumi and Orianna had made it to their classroom on time. As luck would have it, the three girls were in the same class: 1-B. The second the Akiko entered the room, her stormy eyes brightened.

"Fuyu-nee-chan!" Akiko raced to the middle of the room to a girl sitting front and center in the classroom.

"Aki! I'm so glad we have the same class again!" The girl said, her smile warm and inviting. She had the same cinnamon brown skin, if not a little darker than Akiko's. And as Natsumi walked closer to her, she even picked up the scent of cinnamon wafting outward from the girl. She had cropped, straight black hair that stopped just above her waist, and her dark brown eyes were almost indiscernible from her pupils.

"So you two are sisters, then?" Natsumi asked, nodding her head in the direction of "Fuyu-nee-chan."

"No, we're actually second cousins. But Aki just likes to call me that since we're so close in age and the fact we grew up together. I'm Kita Fuyuko by the way," Fuyuko said, standing and bowing to Orianna and Natsumi. She spoke in such a formal, positive manner that it was hard for Natsumi and Orianna not to return a respectful bow.

"Minami Natsumi."

"Orianna Beaumont."

"Oh! You must be the exchange student!" Fuyuko clasped her hands around Orianna's, sending off another wave of the pleasant, cinnamon aroma. "The school has been buzzing about you for the past couple days! Word got around rather quickly. I'm not always sure how that happens…" Fuyuko's voice trailed off, her face going slack and slightly distant. "At any rate," Fuyuko said, snapping back to reality. "We're overjoyed to have you, Miss Beaumont! You must let me bake you a welcome cake. In fact, I insist it."

The school bell cut off Orianna, and a mad dash to seats ensued. There weren't many seats available afterwards.

"We'll talk later," Fuyuko said, taking her seat in the front center as Akiko slid into the seat behind her. Three seats were left, two next to the left of Fuyuko and Aki, and one lonely desk at the back of the room next to the doors. Natsumi looked at Orianna and shrugged, taking the seat next to Fuyuko on the front row. Naturally, Orianna took the seat behind Natsumi, next to Akiko.

* * *

Noire snuck around the school grounds, stopping to rest in the large courtyard in the middle of the school's two buildings. Her previous encounter with the security guards was enough for her to not want to see them or deal with them again. The high school was quite large, and obviously quite old. Dark green ivies clung to the light brown brick walls, snaking in every direction. The athletic track had many trees, giving cool shade to the ground as the temperature rose with the spring season. There were a few pale pink cherry blossom trees that scattered their delicate pink petals on the ground.

"Too much nature in this place," Noire muttered. "Who needs all these trees? And those ivy vines are just ugly. They're going to ruin those brick walls! And who uses brick anymore anyway?!" Noire spat the words out, becoming increasingly disgusted with her surroundings.

"Everything needs to be sleek, and clean, and metal. No one cares for those old, nature-y looks anymore." Noire pulled her sheet of metal out of a pocket. It was malleable and soft. She began to fold and morph the sheet metal like origami. Before long, she had made a metal crane. Her permanent smirk curled upwards even more. "It's beautiful!" She said.

"HEY YOU! I thought I told you to scram! Or get back in class! Whatever!" A security guard shouted at Noire from across the courtyard.

"Crap!" Noire shouted, racing off in the opposite direction of the guard.

* * *

The lunch bell rang loud and clear in the halls of Shizenshima Central High School. The flutter of doors sliding open could he heard throughout the halls as students flocked to the lunchroom. Those that didn't want to buy their lunches stayed behind to enjoy their packed bentos. Natsumi, Orianna, Akiko and Fuyuko stayed in the classroom with a little less than half of their classmates.

"Your introduction was very well done!" Fuyuko said, taking out a light blue and black striped box shaped cloth. Her elegant fingers undid the delicate knot at the top of her bento, and the cloth fell perfectly on her table, revealing a shining black bento box.

"Thank you! Where I'm from, public speaking is something required of me," Orianna said nonchalantly. "Do new students only do self introductions?" She asked, pulling out her own pink, cloth covered box.

"Yes. New students are always encouraged to do self-introductions. It helps us get to know you, and you get to know us, as well!" Fuyuko said.

"So, Kita-san. I heard you plan on being our class representative?" Natsumi asked.

"Oh, yes!" Fuyuko said, her dark eyes glinting with excitement. "I certainly hope the class will have me. Though it might be hard to juggle doing that and the Sweets Club at the same time…" Fuyuko's voice trailed off, her face going slack as she got caught up in her own thoughts.

Aki sat quietly, taking small, considerate bites of rice and other food from her bento. She had pulled out a sketchpad and started sketching. Natsumi, curious, peered over to see what the girl was drawing.

"Please don't watch me draw," Aki said, staring hard at her drawing. "It's… it's just weird." She didn't let Natsumi say anything more.

"Sorry, Nishi-san," Natsumi said slightly defensively. "From what I saw though, you're very good at drawing." Natsumi took a few bites of her own lunch. "Which should be expected from you after seeing that awesome sculpture this mor-" A dull screech cut Natsumi off as Aki stood. She haphazardly closed up her bento and snatched her book bag.

"I'll be in the art room if you need me," She said only to Fuyuko. The three other girls were silent for a brief moment after Aki left the room.

"I'm sorry," Fuyuko said. "She's not great at making new friends and she _really _doesn't like it when people comment on her unfinished art. Please don't take that personally, though. She does that to everyone." Fuyuko turned in her chair to look at the door behind her. "Even me, sometimes."

* * *

Noire stretched as she overlooked the school from the roof. Having finally got the security guards off her trail, she could finally have her moment. She looked down at her intricately folded, metal swan.

"Industrialite! Enemy of Nature! Take your form!" Noire shouted gleefully.

She cupped the swan with her hands before tossing it up in the air. It spun frantically before instantly freezing in place. A transparent orb of black energy formed around the swan, purple electricity dancing across the surface of both the orb and the swan. The orb pulsed, and with each pulse, the swan inside grew bigger and more menacing looking.

Within seconds, an enormous, robotic swan with jagged talons and messy metal feathers flapped its wings in front of Noire.

"Now destroy this stupid school!"

* * *

A tan and pink pokey bobbed in Aki's mouth as she concentrated on her drawing. She was, for reasons she wasn't quite sure, in the mood to draw a super hero. She was experimenting with the American comic book style, but nothing she was drawing satisfied her. Defeated, Aki tossed her sketchbook on the ground and bit the pockey, thinking.

"Why do I do that?" She asked aloud. She kept replaying the scene in the classroom. It was true that she hated – really _hated_ it – when people would watch her draw casually. To Aki, that was something private; a peek in to her mind if anyone saw what she drew. Almost like mental trespassing.

However, she chided herself for acting so rudely to Natsumi earlier. "I just met her today," she mumbled. "Didn't have to be so mean to her." She looked around the room solemnly. Sighing, she bent over and picked up her sketchbook, the hero on her page not finished, but she knew where she was going with it. It was almost a self-portrait. "Why can't I be brave like a hero?"

Minutes passed by slowly. Suddenly, there was a resounding quake that shook the school. An ear splitting screech followed. Aki dropped anything she was holding so she could cover her ears. Not a second later, Aki could hear muffled, human screams.

"What is going on?" She said, running out of the art room with haste. The hall was empty from what she could see, but the screams continued. They seemed to be coming from outside. Aki raced through the halls, the screams becoming louder – and more worrying to Aki – as she got closer to the courtyard.

A head of dull blonde hair flashed before her eyes.

_THUD._

"Ouch!" Orianna cried, rubbing her thigh as she lay on the ground.

"Beaumont-san!" Aki said, recovering from the collision herself. She extended her hand to Orianna. She couldn't help but give a small laugh. "Looks like we're destined to literally run into one another." Orianna looked up at the girl, her smirk looking displaced on her worried face. She clasped her hand with Aki's outstretched one.

"Thanks," she said. She had a pristine white bag over her shoulder, one that Aki hadn't seen before. "I need to get to the courtyard." On the ground was a polished wood compass with a marble face. The directions "N," "E," "S," and "W" seemed to be some kind of stone-like material as well, pressed into the face. A thin, grey and white needle was next to it. However, Orianna didn't notice it on the ground as she ran off.

"Beaumont-san! You forgot…" Orianna rounded a corner before Aki could say anything more. She picked up the compass and ran in the direction of the exchange student.

* * *

"**Cinder Impact!"**

Cure Cinder launched her two fiery orbs at the swan Industrialite. The bird, however, was too fast, and dodged both of them with effortless ease. Cinder grit her teeth. The bird was moving at such a high speed that she wasn't able to land a hit at all.

Bright red flames soon engulfed her whole body.

"Looks like I'll have to try and take to the air, too!" She said. **"Cinder Rocket!"** The red warrior shot up into the air, aiming straight for the bird… and she kept going. "What? I can't change my direction?" Cinder's voice squeaked with worry. The flames around her body dissipated and she felt the tug of gravity.

Noire had been silent as she watched in amusement from the roof. But Cinder's mistake caused her to audibly laugh.

"Bwahahahahaha! Oh man, you can't even control your powers fully yet! Industrialite! Crush her!" Noire teased.

"CRRRAAAAWWWWW!"

Cinder didn't touch the ground, but instead felt her body tighten with intense pressure. The Industrialite had swooped in and snatched her in her free fall. But the Cure Warrior was useless now.

Below, Orianna looked on helplessly.

"Cinder! You've got to fight back! Get out of those talons," She shouted.

Aki still hadn't revealed herself to Orianna, hiding just behind the doors that lead out to the courtyard, but she could see the scene in front of her pretty clearly. Her she felt her fingers clench the compass in her left hand. That girl needed help. But how could Aki save her? She wasn't a super hero. Not like the girl that was being beat up by a giant, robotic swan. She had to help.

"I need to help her. I have to save her." She said, her voice pinched. A soft, white shimmer bathed Aki's face in white light. She looked down at the needle in her right hand. "Wha…"

The doors behind Orianna burst open, causing the princess to jump a little. She spun around, finding Aki in the doorframe, her right hand extended, white light streaming from her closed fist.

"You dropped this when we ran into one another! And now it's glowing. I figured I should give it back to you," Aki said, confused but willing to do anything she could if it meant helping out.

Orianna's face lit up, smiling.

"Oh, I don't need that back," she said, stepping closer to Aki. "That's yours now. You're our second Pretty Cure Warrior!"

"Pretty what now?"

"Just let the needle do the work for you!" Orianna urged.

Aki looked down at the needle, giving it a close look. The light that was coming from it was intoxicating, powerful. The sounds of battle broke Aki's trance, and she saw the red warrior girl had been released from the swan. But she was battered and bruised. Aki's lips began to move on their own.

"**Pretty Cure! Direction Change!"** Aki placed the needle on the face of the compass. After she said "change" she flicked the needle. It spun a few times before landing on the grey "W." **"West!"**

Shards of polished metal burst from the compass. Aki floated around in a white dimension, some of the shards attaching themselves to her torso. With a _ping_ the metal dispersed and revealed a white and grey, sleeveless, strapped top. More metal flew around her, clinging to her thighs like metal to a strong magnet. Her pants exploded, and poofed outward about two thirds of the way down – like military pants – before coming back to her skin just above her knee. White light enrobed the rest of her legs in long socks. She stepped into two big blocks of metal, and the metal exploded, revealing ankle high boots with frills extending upwards.

She thrust her hands through two orbs of metal, and they _pinged_ into large grey cuffs. White arm warmers could be seen underneath, extending from her elbow to halfway down her palm. Her hair seemed to solidify into metal itself, her sideburns extending in length, reaching her chest. The metal on her hair cracked and burst off, revealing new, pure white hair. The right sideburn was a thin braid and the left flowed freely. Her bangs now swept upwards to the left. An off white bow appeared on her chest, and the compass she started with attached itself to her left hip.

"**The Steely Western Tiger! Cure Chrome!" **Her transformation at an end, Cure Chrome struck a bold, confident and heroic pose.

Orianna looked at the newborn Cure Warrior in awe.

"Nishi-san! You were the second Cure!"

"I.. I don't know what just happened…" Cure Chrome said, giving herself a quick once over. "What do I do?" She asked the princess.

"You save Cure Cinder! That's what you do!"

Cure Chrome looked back at the courtyard. Cure Cinder had been released from the bird's claws, but she was barely hanging on.

"Hey… Hey! I'm here! I'm here! I can fight with you!" Chrome said, running out to help the red clad girl.

Cure Cinder looked over at her new teammate. Her eyes grew big with relief. Seeing a new Cure seemed to give her a second wind.

"Let's do it!"

The swan pecked the ground; its sharp beak leaving miniature craters were it made contact. Cinder charged forward, throwing punches with all her might, but the swan still was too fast for her. However, she had a teammate now. The swan flew in the opposite direction of Cinder, unaware of Chrome's presence. Silvery white light collected on Chrome's right fist.

"**Chrome… Iron Fist!" **Chrome's fist connected with the swan's body, and a ring of air pulsed outward. A huge dent could be seen in the bird as if the material were made of nothing more than thin plastic. A blur of black flew away from Chrome. The bird didn't have much of a chance to recover when it came back to Cinder.

"**Cinder Uppercut!" **Cinder punched the swan skyward in an arc of brilliant red flames.

Chrome brought her fist up to eye level. Her mouth hung open. Did she really just do that?

"CCCRRRAAAAAWWWWW!"

The screech of the Industrialite loud, and Chrome found herself covering her ears once again. Cinder had jumped back into action. She was a flurry of red and white as she punched and kicked at the Industrialite. Chrome watched in admiration. This girl was a hero. And now she had a chance to be one, too. Confidence bubbled beneath her skin, encouraging her body to take action. Chrome felt her body leave the ground as she propelled herself upwards. This bird was fast, and she had to trap it if they wanted to defeat it.

"Cure Cinder! Get it down to the ground!" Chrome shouted. Cinder nodded and latched on to one of the birds wings and Chrome attached herself to the opposite.

"Ready?" Cinder yelled.

"Ready!"

Chrome took in a deep breath as she hefted the bird above her head, forcing it back down into the ground of the courtyard. Cinder added a little flare – literally – as her body was suddenly nothing but fire. They accelerated quickly to the ground, slamming the Industrialite down. Chrome landed lightly on her feet.

"**Chrome Chain!"** Thin tendrils of silver chain link roped themselves around the Industrialite. Chrome wasn't sure how she knew what it was she was doing, chalking it up to that confident, bubbling feeling she felt in her chest and under her skin. She grabbed her compass from her hip. It glowed white for a brief moment as Chrome drew back her right arm backwards, the compass in her left hand. The white extended and her compass now resembled a small cannon.

"**Pretty Cure! Chrome Cannon!"** White energy collected at the compass face and grew to the size of a wrecking ball in seconds. The cannonball of energy surged forward, exploding in a cloud of white smoke the second it made contact with the Industrialite.

After the smoke cleared, a folded paper crane was on the ground. Seconds later it crumbled into black dust.

"NOOOOOOOO!" A shriek came from above. Cinder and Chrome's heads snapped upwards to the source. Noire jumped down from above, her face contorted with anger. "I was supposed to win! You weren't supposed to find a second Pretty Cure! This isn't fair! I'll get you two next time, just wait and see." In a snap of her fingers, Noire disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

* * *

A mysterious glowing golden light restored any damage that had happened to the courtyard. Natsumi, Aki and Orianna all sat on one of the benches in the courtyard.

"So, I'm something called a Pretty Cure Warrior?" Aki asked.

"That's right. You're a protector of love, peace, justice and everything good in the world!" Orianna said, twirling a small portion of her hair.

"And that girl from before?"

"She was someone new. I've not seen her before today," Natsumi answered. "I think we need to be careful going forward. If whoever it is we're fighting has a lot of people that can make those Industrialites, then we need to find our team fast."

"Wait, there's more than just the two of us?" Aki asked, her voice full of concern.

"Yes, of course," Orianna said, pulling out the two remaining compasses from her bag. "We have to find two more members before we're finally complete."

"So, if I'm West, Minami-san is South, that means we have to find North and East?"

"Bingo," Natsumi said. Aki gave a big sigh, closing her eyes. She took in a few more deep breaths before opening her eyes and looking at the two girls sitting next to her. She had to admit; feeling like a super hero was exhilarating. It made her feel like she was a completely different person, and not the anxiety-ridden girl she was. Someone who could actually say what she was feeling and not wanting to cry when she did. A thin smile spread on Aki's face.

"Okay. I think I can make this work then."

* * *

Preview:

Orianna: Yay! We have two members finally!

Natsumi: That's great! Hey, Nishi-san!

Aki: Yeah?

Natsumi: Let's get to know each other better, okay?

Aki: Uh… uh…

Next time on _Compass Pretty Cure_: "Careful Tiger: Aki's Art Project! New Friends Can Be Scary!"

* * *

**Author's Note: **As it turns out, I forgot about the Entrance Ceremony tradition in Japan. So I've edited the beginning a little bit to include a mention of the ceremony. I should have really done my research a little more thoroughly...


	4. Making New Friends is Scary!

**Author's Note: Just a quick content warning - There is a panic attack in this episode. And that said, if there is any problematic language in this episode, please do not hesitate to let me know so I can fix it. I don't suffer from anxiety or panic attacks, myself. I've done some researched, I've asked some people what they would expect from a situation like this. I've had the scene beta'd and I've edited it based on the critique I've got. I'm very aware that one experience does not mean it's a global experience. There are different levels of panic attacks and anxiety. As I said, I'm very aware of that. So again, please let me know if there's anything I need to fix in this chapter. I don't want or mean to offend anyone, so I'm completely open to making this as realistic and non-offensive as I can make it.**

**Thank you,**

**MrAntonio.**

* * *

Dread.

That is what Aki felt as she stared at her dark ceiling. Curious, she looked over at her clock on her nightstand. 2:34AM it read in softly glowing red numbers. She wiped the few beads of sweat off her forehead. What was it that caused her to wake up? A dream?

Yes, it was a dream that woke her. The swan she fought a few days ago had appeared once again. Her memories of Cure Chrome were still extremely vivid, but any confidence she remembered feeling was gone for what seemed like forever. How had she felt so powerful then?

In addition to the swan, Natsumi and Orianna's faces had appeared, mocking her. She didn't remember what was exactly said in her dream. Probably just dream gibberish. But whatever it was, Aki knew it was the two girls making fun of her. It had to be.

Aki rubbed the heels of her hands into her eyes. Luckily for her, it was a Sunday morning, which meant no school that day. Perfect. It meant Aki could work on her art project all day. But still… Her dream had bothered her a little, and she thought about the promise she made to Natsumi and Orianna.

"_I think I can make this work then."_

The words echoed in Aki's mind. Why did she do that? There hadn't been an attack since the first day of school, but there was a constant worry in the back of Aki's mind, wondering when it would happen again. That was the scary part about this whole thing. Well, _second_ scariest part. She had never been good at making friends.

"Just go back to sleep, Aki," Aki said to herself. She rolled over on her side and pressed her eyes shut. She didn't want to think about dreams, or monster swans, or becoming some kind of… warrior.

Eventually she fell back into a dreamless, but not at all restful, sleep.

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure – Episode 4: Careful Tiger: Aki's Art Project! New Friends Can Be Scary!_

* * *

The Control Room was busy. Men and women both wore matching black and grey bodysuits and sat at the rows of computers on the main floor.

A tall, thin woman stood on the upper deck smirking devilishly at the workers below her. The Valley's city had been demolished completely. As she stood on the awning, there were droids below her, creating a new epicenter of everything modern and technological. She brushed greasy orange hair out of her face, showing her malicious orange eyes.

"You called for me, Ophelia-sama," A voice deep, baritone voice said behind her.

Ophelia turned to see a man dressed in a pristine grey-white military-esque uniform. He had cropped, military style hair as well. His cool blue grey eyes were devoid of any emotion.

"Yes, Blanc-kun," Ophelia said, her words velvety smooth, but almost just as greasy as her hair. "It has been brought to my attention that a second Pretty Cure Warrior has been awakened," Ophelia paused. Nothing. Blanc stood there, his face expressionless. Was he really listening to what she had to say? Did he even care? Ophelia had no way of knowing, nor did she care to. But if what she had to say next was presented in the form of an order, she knew Blanc would oblige. Her lips curled.

"Noire has not returned from her excursion to the Human World and Jonah can't be bothered at the moment because they are too busy helping build things on the ground. So," Ophelia paused once again. This time, she was caring if Blanc was listening to her. She took a few steps towards the man. He was a few inches taller, and filled his frame quite well. Though Ophelia preferred women, she had to admit there was something almost handsome about Blanc. Almost.

"It's your turn to fight the Pretty Cure Warriors. Do so, and find that rat of a princess and bring her back to us. Queen Platania has a plan, and we need that spoiled child to complete it. Now go," Ophelia said, turning back around to face the Control Room. "That's an order."

Blanc stood briefly at attention, giving a sort of salute by tapping his fist on his chest. His body began to disintegrate into grey-white diamonds and within seconds, the Military Leader was gone.

Ophelia's malicious look turned soft for a slight moment as she thought about Noire.

"Do come home safely, my love," she said softly, under her breath.

* * *

Unable to find a comfortable position while she slept, Aki gave up on sleep. It was just a few minutes past eight in the morning. Aki sighed. She hated not being able to get a good night's sleep, even though it happened often when she was working on an important piece for the art club.

She swung her legs over her bed and crept down the stairs. Her older brother and mother were still asleep and she didn't want to wake them. Her father would be gone by now. The factory had him working some pretty early hours recently. The kitchen light was the only light on in the house. Aki walked in to the kitchen to see her grandmother cooking breakfast and took a seat at the small table in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Grandmother," Aki said, her tongue feeling heavy with morning breath.

"Good morning, Akiko," Aki's grandmother said. "Sleepless night again?" Aki's grandmother didn't wait for an answer. "I could hear you tossing and turning all night long. Is it getting bad again, dear?"

Aki shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She hated that question. But she knew her grandmother would ask again if she didn't reply. And she knew her grandmother's heart was in the right place. But still…

"Not right now," Aki said in a clipped tone. "I'm going to school in a few hours, though. My new piece needs to be finished by Wednesday if I want to submit it for the first competition of the year." Aki knew that changing the subject would help, especially to art. Her grandmother was the one that got her starting painting.

* * *

_Six-year-old Aki walked into the house, dirt and mud all over her._

"_Aki, you're filthy!" Her mother cried. "We need to clean you up immediately!"_

"_Ah, she's just having fun," Aki's grandmother said. "Did you make something for us, child?"_

_Aki's face lit up in a big smile. "Yeah! Come look! It's a mudman! I wanted to make a snowman, but there's no snow. He's my new friend!" Aki ran and grabbed her grandmother's hand, leaving a trail of brown mud as she did. She pulled her grandmother outside, a small, dumpy looking mudman sat in the grass just in front of the front door._

_Aki's grandmother smiled and looked down at her grandchild. "Akiko," she said, kneeling to eye level with Aki. "You want to make something that is a lot more colorful than Mr. Mudman?"_

* * *

"You should spend the day with friends instead, Akiko," Aki's grandmother said. Aki considered her grandmother her first friend. Which, unfortunately, wasn't saying much considering friends were something she had trouble making. Between her grandmother and Fuyuko, Aki didn't have many friends. And she still questioned her position with Nasumi and Orianna.

"I'm…" Aki started. "I've actually invited some friends to meet me at school, when I'm finished. Besides Fuyuko," Aki added on quickly, though "friends" came out of her mouth like she wasn't sure she was using a big word in the correct context. Her grandmother didn't say anything more, to Aki's relief. Aki hadn't realized how tense she had become until she felt her body relax when her grandmother turned to put a bowl of rice on the table, a smile on her face.

* * *

Noire had been kicking random spots of sand in frustration on the beach for hours now. How could she have let those Pretty Cures make a fool out of her? She had to try one more time. The sea breeze tickled her face and for a brief moment, it felt good to her. But then she retched as she remembered her duties and how nature needed to be destroyed.

Suddenly, she felt a heavy, gloved hand rest on her shoulder. She snapped her head to the right as Blanc looked to the horizon, a similar look of disgust on his face.

"How can anyone find enjoyment in that?" He asked, his brows furrowing, making his eyes hooded under his brows. He turned to face Noire, expression unchanged. "Ophelia-sama is worried about you," he said. "She ordered me to fight the Pre-"

"NO! I still have to fight them! I know Ophelia ordered you, but I'm not through with them yet!" Noire shouted. She turned on her heel and in a puff of black smoke she disappeared.

* * *

Aki and her grandmother had a quiet breakfast together. The two were comfortable with silence. In fact, much of Aki's time with her grandmother was spent painting each other, which required silence and stillness. Only her mother had woken up by the time Aki was ready to go to school.

"I'll be home in time for dinner," she said, kissing her grandmother on the cheek.

Shizenshima West Prefecture was the smallest prefecture on the island and most of the factory jobs were held on this side of the island as well. Because of that, the trains were always going, and were some of the faster trains on the island. Aki arrived in the Central Prefecture ten minutes after she left her house.

When she arrived at the school, a few of the fields were in use as the various sports clubs had their Sunday practices. The school, on the other hand, was quiet and mostly dark. Aki unlocked the art room and slid the door open. Cold air tickled her ankles as she stepped in. It was dark, but she could see her sculpture underneath a long strip of fabric opposite the room from her.

She smiled. How she loved the silence of the empty school. She took in a deep breath before walking over to her project, flicking the switch on with a slender finger. She pulled the cloth off of her sculpture. She wasn't sure what it was. It wasn't human; that was certain.

It looked like an amorphous figure eight with various arches protruding around the main figure. She was new to sculpting, so she didn't want to go right into sculpting humans. Thin, black tendrils of bare wire were waiting for Aki to form the clay around. She had told Fuyuko to pick her up around 4:00 and she had told Natsumi and Orianna to meet her around 3:00.

* * *

"_Nishi-san! Now that you're a Pretty Cure Warrior, would you maybe be interested in, I don't know, hanging out sometime?" Natsumi asked. Aki stared at the girl, words not wanting to form. She was still recovering from the shock of transforming into a Pretty Cure and she had just promised them that maybe she could make this work._

_Aki picked at her cuticles and fingernails._

"_Uh, yeah," she said. "I-I guess we could… hang out," Aki said, staring hard into her hands. Her answer must have pleased the other two girls. She could practically hear them smile._

"_Great! We'll let you pick the time and place!" Orianna said. Aki was quiet for a moment, thinking when she'd be free to meet them. She did the math in her head and came to the conclusion that she should be done with her newest art piece by the coming Sunday._

"_Okay… H-how's this coming Sunday at 3:00? I'll…uh… show you the piece I want to submit for the first Art Club contest."_

* * *

The silver hands ticked past 12:15. She had a little less than three hours of time to herself. Pulling her sculpture away from the back wall and sitting down on her usual stool, Aki snatched the tub of clay from the counter, eager to start.

* * *

A short, sharp knock on the art door caused Aki to jump in her seat. Her hands were caked with residual clay, and her sculpture glistened with a damp, slimy sheen. It was done. Well, almost. It still needed to dry. But Aki couldn't help but stare at her new piece of work and smile with pride.

"Coming," she said, standing and going over to the sink to wash her hands. She looked up at the clock. It was a few minutes past three. Had she really just spent two hours and forty-five minutes sculpting? It had only felt like thirty minutes.

Sliding the door open revealed the smiling faces of Orianna and Natsumi. Aki's heart fluttered a little. What would they talk about? Would they be interesting in hearing what she has to say? Will she be super short in her answers, or will she talk for ages about one thing? Would they get bored with the conversation? Would they regret even wanting to come?

"Hi, Minami-san. Beaumont-san," Aki said softly, her bow coming off more of as a nod. "Come on in."

Aki moved out of the way so the two new arrivals could enter the room. Orianna had her pure white bag slung around her shoulder. Aki guessed it was the same bag that held the compass she now owned. Did she think they'd be finding the third member today? Aki put it out of her mind as the two girls looked around the art room.

"You know," Natsumi started. "I don't think I've seen the high school's art room before. But this is nice!" The room was big and rectangular. There were easels set up in a half moon around a chalkboard along one of the long walls opposite to the entrance. Supplies were likely hidden away in some of the cabinets that lined the shorter walls, though there were some loose canvases lying around the room.

"Yeah. It's my home away from home," Aki said, some confidence sparking in her words. Even Orianna looked impressed, which Aki took as a silent win, since the girl used to live in a palace. It didn't take much convincing Aki that Orianna was, in fact, a princess. It wasn't that she was rude or anything, but it was obvious she was accustomed to a much higher standard of living when it came to certain things. Like how she always had a constant need to check how she looked in her compass, how formally she spoke sometimes, the questions about the lack of expensive food in the school's cafeteria when she didn't bring a bento box from home.

Still… Aki did find that she could be a little more comfortable around the princess. And Natsumi as well. Both of them were so open minded and willing to see good in people. She began to smile a little.

But what if all of that was just a ruse? What if they really didn't like her? What if they only wanted to talk _just_ because of the Pretty Cure thing?

Aki's stomach began to feel strange and rumbly. She could feel her chest rising and falling faster than it should. She needed to get out of the room.

"Hey," she blurted. "I'll, uh, I'll be right back. I just need to get some fresh air, been in here for a few hours be right back." Her words became a bit rushed, if not just a touch panicked.

Not feeling that anything was out of the ordinary, Orianna turned her attention back to the art room when her eyes landed on Aki's sculpture.

"Natsumi, look!" She said, pointing at the abstract, amorphous hardened clay.

"Nishi-san is so talented! Gosh, I wish I could be this creative," Natsumi said, clasping her hands behind her back and she hunched over to inspect Aki's sculpture. Orianna was gingerly poking sections of it that she could tell were dry. Just from the little prods, the princess could tell it was heavier than it looked. It rocked slightly with each touch, and Orianna figured that she should stop before she knocked the thing over.

Leaning back up, Orianna reached into her pocket, absentmindedly pulling out her compact. The closed mirror, just barely in her fingers grasp, slipped out of her hand and on to the floor. Not wanting to break _that_, Orianna lunged for it, tripping over the stand that Aki's sculpture was on.

Natsumi acted as fast as she could. With a surprised gasp, she stopped the stand from falling over, but gravity was already working and the sculpture fell to the ground with a dull, and slightly wet, _thud_ as the sculpture broke into pieces and smeared clay. The door slid open. Orianna and Natsumi, both with horror stricken faces, snapped their heads in the direction of the door.

Aki stood, frozen, her left hand gripping the door. Her fingertips flared white as they tightened their grip on the door; her eyes widened in the same horror that Natsumi and Orianna had.

"Wh…" Her voice was barely audible. Aki's eyes were locked on to the broken sculpture. "Wha…" Her heart pounded against her chest, as if it were trying to escape from her own body by breaking the ribs surrounding it. Her eyes began to sting with hot tears as she brought her free hand up to cover her mouth, trapping a silent scream.

"Nishi-san," Orianna said. "Before you freak out…it was an accident." The princess pleaded.

"What-what happened?!" Aki shrieked. "My sculpture is _ruined_!" She carelessly pushed past the other easels in her way and fell to her knees when she reached her sculpture. She began to audibly sob as her body trembled. To Aki, everything hurt. Everything was terrible. Nothing was going to be fixed. Not in her mind. Aki felt like she wanted to die, right there in that moment. She couldn't bring herself to touch the sculpture. She just couldn't. Her sobs became more violent, shaking her body. Her breaths became shallow. She clutched her bangs like she always did when she was having a panic attack.

"Nishi-san, please. Calm down, it was an accident," Orianna said. But that only made it worse: it only made the tears flow more and the sobs more violent Of course she knew she should calm down, but in this moment in time, it was nearly impossible.

"I-I-I worked f-f-for _weeks_ on th-this," Aki sobbed. "A-and now it's _ruined_."

Orianna wasn't sure what to do, so she put her hand on Aki's shoulder. Aki, however, jerked her shoulder away.

"DON'T TOUCH ME," she shouted. Orianna backed away, like clutching her hand like it had been burned. She felt a hand on her own shoulder.

"Orianna," Natsumi said, her voice only had a hint of panic, but for the most part it was calm. "Go wait outside." Orianna didn't argue with Natsumi but gave one last, worried look at Aki before exiting.

"How-how am I g-gonna fix this?" Aki cried, her words coming out forced and frustrated. Her forehead began to sting as she pulled tighter on her bangs, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to maybe stop the tears. Her voice was ragged, and her breaths still came quickly and shallowly in between sobs. As she knelt there, she could feel her body begin to tremble.

"Nishi-san," Natsumi said softly, gently. Aki didn't respond. She heard her name just barely. "Nishi-san, can I put my hand on your shoulder?" Aki shook her head, letting go of her bangs and covering her face with her hands as she continued to sob, body starting to tremble more, and muttering "How am I going to fix this" to herself. But she never felt Natsumi's hand.

"Nishi-san, I know that your sculpture is broken," Natsumi said, her voice soothing and gentle. And, to Aki's surprise, it wasn't condescending. But she still felt awful. And right now, she felt embarrassed that Natsumi was seeing her like this. "But, if Orianna and I help you, I think we can get this done before the deadline." Natsumi said. To Natsumi, she wasn't sure if she knew Aki well enough to be so friendly and comforting. But she saw how Aki needed help. And she couldn't just walk away. Not now.

"But… it's b-broken! I can't… _fix_ it! I won't… have _t-time_!" Aki cried, her voice still ragged and heaving. She was gasping for air now.

"Nishi-san, can you take in a big breath?" Natsumi asked.

"I… can't… breathe right… now. My sculpture… is _broken_!" Even as she said it, Aki could feel how tight her throat was, like the muscles in her throat were constricting, pressing themselves down and reducing her intake. She was barely getting enough air in her lungs as she spoke and cried at the same time. She could still feel her heart slamming against her rib cage. Aki felt her forehead go numb as she realized she was clutching her bangs again. Her body shook uncontrollably; like the room had been plunged into a freezing temperature. "It's broken!" She repeated.

"Can you take in a big breath for me, Nishi-san? I'll do it with you," Natsumi offered.

"I-I… just said I c-can't… _breathe_ right now," Aki said between gasps. She had to force the words out. "My sculpture… is _broken_! The deadline… is in _two days_. I won't be able to _fix_ this… in time." Aki was more saying this to herself than she was to Natsumi. Aki felt the hot tears slide down her face. She had a brief moment of realization. Natsumi was sitting right next to her. The other girl could see her in an embarrassing, uncontrollable state. Aki cursed herself for crying, but at that moment, there wasn't anything she could do to stop it. She'd never be friends with Natsumi now. It didn't seem possible. She pressed her lips together, trying to silence the sobs. But they just became muffled.

"H-how can I be successful like this?" Aki said, again to no one in particular. It seemed her mouth didn't want to stay shut. "I'll n-never make any friends. But I w-want to." She was aware Natsumi was just inches away from her, but the words came out anyway. Aki desperately wanted to be friends with Natsumi and Orianna. But she asked herself if they would want to after seeing her like this. "I can't m-make friends l-like this," She said. Eventually, she went back to saying "I'll never fix this in time." Or "It's broken." Aki could hear Natsumi saying things to calm her down, but Aki's body wasn't letting up. It was fighting her.

In a flash, Aki clasped Natsumi's hand. She was still crying with eyes squeezed shut. Her breaths were still shallow and somewhat ragged. But this was her only way of letting Natsumi know that she needed someone to fight with her against this.

Natsumi looked down at the hand clasping her own. Aki's grip was tight. She could feel the other girl's body shaking with each short breath.

"Nishi-san," Natsumi ventured. "Follow my breathing." Natsumi wasn't sure if it would work, but she knew she had to try. She took in a deep breath, one that lasted a few seconds. Then she exhaled slowly, longer than the breath she took in. She did that for a few moments. It didn't seem to have an effect on Aki, but she wasn't about to give up. Not if she now knew how much Aki wanted to be friends with her and Orianna.

After a few minutes more, Aki was in sync with Natsumi. She could still feel her body shaking and her mind was still going a million miles a minute on how she was going to fix the sculpture. It was hard to keep up with Natsumi, however. Aki broke the rhythm a few times to let out a few more sobs. She even repeated "It's broken" a few more times.

"Have you been in this situation before, Nishi-san?" Natsumi asked after what seemed like an hour. Aki quickly thought of one of her coping statements that she'd been told to use when her attacks hit.

"I've been under pressure to finish a piece before… and I can do this again." It was slow, and in between breaths, but Aki said it. "I can finish this." She repeated that a few times, taking in deep breaths before saying it again. Her tears finally stopped, her body was still shaking, but not as much as before. Her throat muscles had finally relaxed, and she could take in breaths now without feeling like she was breathing in water. Aki slumped against a stool. It was over. For the most part anyway. And she felt exhausted.

"Do you need something to eat? Or drink?" Natsumi offered. Aki nodded and Nastumi stood and walked over to the door. Aki heard it slide open and Natsumi whispering to Orianna. Natsumi came back and knelt next to Aki when she was finished speaking with Orianna.

"Just keep breathing and rest for now. Kita-san is on her way now," Natsumi said.

* * *

"How long has it been?" Fuyuko asked Orianna as they stood outside the art room.

"About half an hour," Orianna said. "It was all my fault. I dropped my compact and then the next thing I knew, the sculpture was on the ground… And I had no idea she would react that way." Orianna said, not wanting to look up at Fuyuko, ashamed.

"Beaumont-san-"

"Oh, please do call me Orianna."

"If that's what you like," Fuyuko said with a small smile. "You couldn't know that's what was going to happen. Aki doesn't open up to many people about that. And I've accidentally caused her to panic like that, too." Fuyuko's smile vanished, her face somber. "It's not a good feeling… Knowing you've caused someone you love go through that," Fuyuko said. Orianna was still quiet. The princess could tell Fuyuko might have done it more than once.

"But she forgave you?" She asked.

"Oh, of course," Fuyuko answered. "But it took a lot longer for me to forgive myself. Unfortunately, Aki's anxiety is waiting right below the surface when competition deadlines come around. She's more easily triggered during those times." Fuyuko was about to say more when the door slid open. Natsumi and Aki exited the room. Fuyuko smiled and hugged her cousin, handing her a small package of cookies and a bottle of water. Aki thanked her quietly.

"Nishi-san," Orianna half-shouted, her face quickly turning a dark shade of red. "I-I'm so sorry for breaking your sculpture." Aki didn't say anything, and she didn't look at Orianna, but there wasn't any resentment in her eyes.

"Just… Just be careful next time," Aki said, making quick glances at the princess. "And…and, um… You have to, um, help me fix my sculpture," she said. "Minami-san, you too," Aki quickly added on.

"Of course!" The two girls said in unison.

"I'll help, too!" Fuyuko said. There was a small round of cheers and in Orianna's bag, there was a flash of cool – almost black – blue light. She looked down at her bag, but the light was gone. Had she imagined it? She looked over at Fuyuko and a small smirk appeared on the princess's face.

* * *

The next day, as soon as the bell had rung to signal the end of the school day, Fuyuko, Natsumi and Orianna all met in the art room.

"Okay… Here's the plan of action," Aki started. "None of us leave this room until the sculpture is fixed." It was unusual to Aki, to be in this position of authority. She was afraid what happened yesterday might happen again. But she swallowed hard and took a few deep breaths. She had this. "Natsumi and Orianna, you two are on gluing duty. Fuyuko, you'll help me sculpt the few pieces that completely broke off. Okay?"

"Okay!" The three other girls said.

Art club members that were also working on their competition projects trickled out as the afternoon wore on. Around 6 o'clock, the four of them had managed to mend most of the sculpture.

"It's not complete, but we got more done than I thought we would have, honestly," Aki said. "I think I can probably do the last touches myself, tomorrow." Aki was moving around the sculpture carefully, inspecting every detail. And just like on the first day she met Orianna, bumping into the girl, the sculpture looked ten times better than it had prior to falling.

Orianna had left, saying she wanted to show something to Fuyuko, and it was Aki and Natsumi left to put away the supplies and clean up a little. Aki felt a little more confortable with just Natsumi around, but a question was weighing heavily on her mind.

"Minami-san," She started.

"Nishi-san," Natsumi said as Aki spoke.

"Oh, sorry, you can go first," Aki said.

"Heh, I was just toing to say… You can call me Natsumi, if you want," the red head said. Aki gave a quick nod. "What did you want to say?"

"Yeah, cool. Okay, Natsumi," Aki took a gulp. "First, I wanted to say... thanks... for yesterday. I mean that. But," Aki paused. "How… how did you know what to do yesterday? When you helped me?" She said. Natsumi smiled as she put the clay back into the cabinet and closed the door with a satisfying "click."

"Well, when I was young, my parents died in a boating accident," Natsumi said.

"Oh gosh, I-I'm so sorry," Aki said.

"Thank you. So when that happened, I was deathly afraid of swimming anywhere. The ocean, a swimming pool, even a small inflatable pool, I felt terrified," Natsumi said. "Eventually, Hotaru, my older sister, took me to a family friend who was a therapist and he said I was having something similar to panic attacks. I would just sob and scream and because I was so young, I'd push and kick Hotaru whenever she took me to the beach or the swimming pool.

And eventually it got so bad that Hotaru needed to learn how to help me get over my fear. Trying to get me to swim was out of the question, so she and Kazuhito, my brother-in-law learned some techniques to calm me down."

The two girls were silent for a moment.

"But…but, aren't you on the swim team now?" Aki asked. Natsumi gave a small laugh.

"Yeah, I am. It turns out Hotaru really did want me to get over that fear of water by swimming. I was six when my parents died and it took me a few years to get over that trauma and fear of water. Eventually I stopped having panic episodes, but I was still a bit fearful of open water. I only recently joined the swim team. When I was a second year in middle school, I finally found the courage to get in the water and swim. Ironically enough, I'm pretty good at it!" Natsumi said, again giving a small laugh. Aki and Natsumi went back to putting things up.

"Hey, Nishi-san?" Natsumi asked. Aki looked over at Natsumi.

"Y-You," she started. "You can call me Aki…" She said softly.

Natsumi smiled big.

"Aki, where do I put these wire cutters?"

* * *

Noire sat on top of the school building, watching the sun set.

"Soon," she said sinisterly. "Soon I'll give those darn Pretty Cures what they deserve!"

* * *

Preview:

Natsumi: Wow! The Sweets Club is having their fundraiser! Aki, we have to get some!

Aki: Fuyu-nee knows how to bake, that's for sure!

Orianna: These pastries are just as good as some of the ones at home! Hey, this one is shaped like an Industrialite!

Natsumi/Aki: A what?!

?: Don't worry! I'll stop it!

Next time on Compass Pretty Cure!: _The Third Member, Cure Stream! Saved by the North Cure!_


	5. The Third Member, Cure Stream!

"Industrialite, what do you think you're doing?! Finish them!" Noire shouted at her monster. The oversized, mechanized wolf was struggling to get up after being pummeled by Chrome's Iron Fist attack. The plaza was deserted except for Noire, Cures Cinder and Chrome and the princess, Orianna.

"We won't let you terrorize this island!" Cinder shouted. **"Cinder Impact!"** Two flaming orbs appeared on Cinder's clenched fists. She punched with her left, and then her right, the orbs launching from her hands in streaks of red as she did so. But the wolf had finally snapped itself out of its daze. It howled, producing jagged, purple rings of sound energy. As the orbs flew through the expanding rings, they quickly shrunk in size, fizzling out into nothing.

"I got it!" Chrome said. **"Chrome Chains!"** Cure Chrome's hands glowed white for a brief second as tendrils of thin, silver chain snaked their way towards the wolf from her open palms. But the wolf was now operating at one hundred percent. It wasn't going to be stopped by these auxiliary attacks. In a flash of dark purple, the wolf was gone and the chains collided with empty space, sending a few webbed cracks in the ground.

"This Industrialite is too powerful! Chrome! We need to combine our pow-Augh!" Cinder was cut short as the wolf hit her from the behind.

"Cinder!" Chrome cried. And in the blink of an eye, Chrome found herself flying through the air, pain lancing up and down her right side. She slammed into a wall, gasping for air.

"Cinder! Chrome!" Orianna shouted, hiding from behind some large rubble. Her two protectors – her two friends – were hurt and seemingly unconscious. "Where is she?" Orianna thought. She looked around, searching for something.

"Industrialite, take the princess and let's go," Noire said, now bored with the situation. But she couldn't help herself from smirking. She had taken care of the Pretty Cure pests all by herself. The wolf charged for the princess. Two flashes, one red and one silver appeared before the wolf. Chrome and Cinder extended both of their hands, ready to protect Orianna. But the wolf never met their hands.

**"Pretty Cure! Stream… Wall!"**

The earth cracked open just in front of Cinder and Chrome, separating the warriors from the charging wolf. Sapphire water burst forth from the crack with lighting fast speed. Cinder felt the spray on her face and she realized she had closed her eyes, preparing for impact. Instead, she heard the roar of water and a faint "yelp" from the Industrialite as the water that had just appeared swept it up. The wall of water extended far and high into the air.

Standing a few steps in front of them stood a girl clad in blue so dark, it almost looked black. Her navy hair had been tied into two, long pigtails. She had a two-layered ruffled skirt, the top a pleasant sky blue, the bottom the same dark navy. And above that was a vest that looked similar to the one that Cinder and Chrome wore. She had extended her right arm towards the sky, her fingers cupped around the compass while her left arm was free.

"Cure Cinder! Cure Chrome! Finish the job!" The mysterious warrior said. Cinder and Chrome looked at one another and nodded. Chrome looked back at the mysterious girl. Something about her voice was familiar to her. She couldn't hear it much over the roar of the water wall, but she knew that voice.

The water disappeared and Chrome and Cinder extended their compasses.

**"Pretty Cure! Chrome Canon!"**

**"Pretty Cure! Cinder Flame!"**

The white orb was launched from Chrome's compass and the red flames snaked their way out from Cinder's, both heading for the wolf. But before they made contact, the flames swallowed the orb and the two attacks combined. When they hit the Industrialite, a cloud of white and red smoke exploded.

"Nooo! I was so close to winning!" Noire shouted. She pulled out another square of metal, but a rough hand clasped her arm, jerking her back. "Give me one more chance!" Noire said turning to see who it was that had taken her. She met Blanc's stone cold, grey eyes.

"Ophelia-sama has ordered you to return to the main ship." He said, his words final. Noire felt her face go hot with blush.

"Fine…" She muttered. The two disappeared in a puff of black smoke and white diamonds.

The mysterious girl turned around to face Cinder and Chrome, a smile on her face.

"Nice job, you two!" She said, clapping her hands together and touching her fingers to her chin.

"Wait a second!" Chrome shouted. "Fuyu-nee?! Is that you?!"

* * *

Compass Pretty Cure!: Episode 5 – The Third Member, Cure Stream! Saved by the North Cure!

* * *

"Eeeeeeeeehhh?!" Cinder exclaimed. "It is! Kita-san! When did you become a Pretty Cure?" The red warrior didn't believe the fact that this was indeed Fuyuko, the girl that sat next to her in class.

"Wait!" Cure Stream said. "Aki? Minami-san? You two are Pretty Cures as well?" The navy warrior looked back and forth between her cousin and her classmate, her face mirroring the shock on the two girls in front of her. "Orianna didn't tell me that!"

Orianna shot up at the sound of her name. The rubble had been cleared away and any damage done by the Industrialite had been restored by a golden light.

"Orianna, explain yourself," Natsumi said, crossing her arms as she detransformed. Aki and Fuyuko followed suit. The princess gave an awkward smile and rubbed the back of her head as the three girls looked at her with stern faces.

"Well, remember last week when we had finished repairing Aki's sculpture?" The girls nodded. "As soon as Aki said we could go, I had to tell Fuyuko about Pretty Cure!" Orianna said.

"But why?" Aki asked.

"Well, when she offered to help out with fixing it, I thought one of the compasses reacted to her," The princess continued. "So when I told her I wanted to show her something when we were done, she followed me. I showed her the compass that reacted, and it again responded to Fuyuko!"

"But how did you know what to do, Fuyuko?" Natsumi asked. It was Fuyuko's turn to look a little embarrassed.

"As it turns out, I've fought an Industrialite already," Fuyuko said, her cheeks flushing slightly. Natsumi and Aki looked on in awe. "But only once before! Orianna was so excited that I was a Pretty Cure and could transform that she forgot to tell me that you two were my teammates," she said. "I was aware I would have them, but I never once imagined it would be the two of you."

"Well," Natsumi said. "I thought that finding all our teammates was going to be a group effort, but I'm glad that there wasn't a lot of trouble to go through!" Natsumi gave Orianna stern look before giggling to show she was just kidding. They had three team members now. One more compass to give to another unsuspecting girl. Natsumi couldn't help but be curious.

* * *

"Noire," Ophelia said. The young girl sat still and rigid in front of her superior. "You deliberately disobeyed my order to come back," she said, pausing. Ophelia had been pacing, unable to bring herself to look at Noire. "And you've now failed twice to defeat the Pretty Cure and allowed them to find their third member." She sopped pacing.

Ophelia was annoyed. Annoyed that Noire had taken so long to get back, annoyed that the Pretty Cure warriors were growing in number, annoyed that the reconstruction of the Valley was taking so long. And most of all, she was annoyed that none of them had managed to capture the princess.

"Princess Orianna is crutial to Queen Platania's plan. If we don't get her, then there's no way we can finish what we started," Ophelia said. Noire was silent for a while.

"I almost had them this last time," she mumbled, resentment ringing in her soft words. "Until that wall of water appeared." Noire went back to being quiet. She stood and hugged Ophelia from behind. "But I'm sorry for worrying you," she said. Her tone had changed. She was genuinely sorry for upsetting Ophelia. Not because Ophelia was her superior. The woman was more than that to her.

"It's okay," Ophelia said, moving her body so she could hug Noire back. "Blanc should be taking care of the Pretty Cure soon."

* * *

"WWWWHHHAAAATTT?"

The shout echoed from the slightly empty halls of Shizenshima Central High School. It was the next morning and students were still making their way into school. Classroom 1-B, however had more students outside of it. The shout had come from inside.

"Is everyone okay?"

"Who just shouted?"

"I hope no one's hurt."

A boy with messy, dirty blond hair stood up, his hands on the desk, glasses sliding down his nose. He was staring at a girl with straight, shoulder length violet hair. Though she wasn't looking at him. Her face was wrinkled with worry as she looked at the door to the classroom.

"Nothing's the matter. Tsukamoto-san is just being a little dramatic," she said to the students. They all dispersed, allowing in the students that belonged in the classroom to enter. "Jurai-kun!" The girl huffed. "You mustn't be so loud. And please," she said, her face turning red. "Calm down. It's not that serious."

"How can I be calm when Hideki-senpai is quitting the Sweets Club! He's our president! Sayuri-san what are we going to do?!" Jurai cried as he slumped back into his desk. Sayuri had to admit. She, too, was upset about Hideki-senpai leaving the Sweets Club. He had a good reason and all (to focus on his studies to get into the college of his first choice) but still. The hole would be noticeable and hard to replace. Sayuri let herself imagine being a first year and the president of the Sweets Club. How she would spend her days in the Home Economics room baking all the time. How she would encourage all her members to bake what their hearts desired. How she would teach the new club recruits with a stern, but gentle hand. She smiled.

She wouldn't get the position of course. Seniority took precedence in these kinds of things, and while the Sweets Club wasn't a big club, there were still three other third year students in the club. And behind them were five second years. Her becoming the president was a long shot.

"Sayuri!"

"Huh? What?" Sayuri said, snapping back into reality. Fuyuko had entered the room and walked over to she and Jurai. "Oh, good morning, Kita-san," she said, her cheeks flushing.

"Good morning, Sayuri-san," Fuyuko responded. "I heard Tsukamoto-san shout a few minutes ago. Is everything okay?"

"Everything is NOT okay, Kita-san! Hideki-senpai has quit the Sweets Club! We're without a president!" The boy said. Fuyuko didn't say anything, but was listening to the conversation. The revelation didn't seem to surprise her, even though she had to leave early the day before. "Won't the vice president take over?" Jurai asked.

"Well, we don't know that yet. Hideki-san told us yesterday at the end of our meeting, but Sana-senpai wasn't there, but she knew about him quitting," Sayuri said.

"Kita-san," Jurai said. "You should put your name in the hat to be our next president!"

"Eeeh? You think so?!" Fuyuko said, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Of course! Your confections are always so sweet and so delicious! You always teach me how to do things properly! You'd be a perfect president!" Jurai said.

"Bu-but surely they wouldn't allow a first year to be president!" Sayuri said haughtily, crossing her arms and looking away from her fellow club-mates, cheeks tinged with red.

"Sayuri-san has a point," Fuyuko said, her voice trailing off. "I wonder how the new president will be selected then, if Sana-senpai doesn't take the position."

"Why would Sana-senpai not take the president position?" Jurai asked.

"Well, I volunteer to do clean up duty so often with Sana-senpai, I've had a chance to speak with her. She doesn't want it. She says she can handle the responsibility of vice-president, but not the true president position," Fuyuko said.

"So…" Sayuri said. "So there's a chance that anyone can have the position?" Sayuri couldn't help but sound excited. If there was a real chance for her to become president… She had to try!

* * *

"So! Now that we're all assembled, let's talk about the white elephant in the room," Sana said. She was a short, stocky girl with dark, thick ringlets that cascaded over her shoulders and ended around her back. The school day was over and it was time for club activities. "You all know that Hideki-san resigned from his post as president and had to leave the club."

There were a few nods and some muttering happened before Sana continued.

"I have no interest in being the president," she said.

"Wait, are you sure, Sana-senpai?" One member said.

"You're the vice-president!" said another.

"Calm down, everyone," Sana said. "I have a good way to pick the new president." Sana paused for a second, her sea blue eyes surveying each and every member of the Sweets Club. "Our funds are running a little low, so I figured that our new president would be picked in a Sell-a-thon!" Sana said, thrusting her fist in the air. A few members whispered excitedly, others remained silent. Fuyuko's lips had spread ear-to-ear.

"A contest to see who can get us the most money?!" She said excitedly. "Sayuri, Jurai! From this moment on we're rivals!"

"Uh…" Jurai said, turning to Sana. "What if we don't want to be president, like you, Sana-senpai?"

Sana smiled. "Then you'll do what I'm doing! You'll help out with any of our presidential candidates bake or taste what they need and then you'll help count the money!"

"Sounds like a good plan!" A second year said.

"Now that I know I don't have to compete, I think I'll sit out." A first year mumbled.

At the end of the meeting, only four club members wanted to be president: Sayuri, Fuyuko and two third years.

"Let's make some awesome sweets," Fuyuko said to Sayuri.

"I don't plan on losing to you, Fuyuko-san!" Sayuri said.

* * *

The sun had set and the island was dark now. Blanc preferred it this way. Dark, quiet and seemingly desolate. The civilians would be in their homes, away from nature. It was a pleasant thought, being away from the nature. But the island that Blanc found himself standing on seemed to be more wild than civilized. And he hated it.

He drew his long, thin sword and slashed at the sand beneath his feet.

"Disgusting," he said. "Pretty Cure, prepare yourself for the cold steel of my blade."

* * *

"So there's a sell-a-thon to become the president of the Sweets Club? Is that how things are normally decided?" Natsumi asked, twisting the metallic egg shaped timer in swift, jerky motions. Her cheeks were dusted white with flour. "You said thirty minutes, right?" she asked Fuyuko. Fuyuko nodded as she closed the oven door.

"You three will be my guinea pigs. And, Orianna, thank you for being my baking assistant," she said.

"You must really want this, huh, Fuyu-nee?" Aki asked, sitting at the island on a stool, her cheek resting on her hand, a small spot of white flour on her nose. She and Natsumi were no longer allowed to help out after getting into a flour fight, which Fuyuko did not appreciate.

"This brings me back to my baking lessons from back home," Orianna said, licking pale yellow batter off of the rubber spatula. "Oh, Fuyuko this is simply divine! It's so light. So sweet… but what is it exactly?"

"It's something new I'm trying out. I wanted to try my hand at a lemon angel food cake. It was an easy recipe to follow, but I've never tried it out before," Fuyuko said. There was a quiet moment between the four girls, but not awkward. They all were comfortable in their silence. School had been going on for a few weeks now and the four girls had spent most of their time together.

"I still can't believe you're a Pretty Cure," Aki said. "Actually, I still can't believe I'm a Pretty Cure." She was still resting her cheek in her hand, but Aki was smiling contently. For her, it was nice to have new friends, and more friends than just Fuyuko.

"I hope I won't let you two down," Fuyuko said. "Orianna explained everything to me and it sounds like there's a lot at stake," she said, turning to the princess. "I promise you, Orianna, that Natsumi, Aki and I will get back your home!"

"I know you'll get my home back!" Orianna responded. "But we also have one more member to find before we can go back."

"I wonder what kind of girl she'll end up being," Natsumi said, her voice airy and wistful, as if she were imagining in that moment what kind of a girl the fourth, and final member would be.

Afterwards the girls sat around the kitchen island, chatting about this and that, waiting for the timer to go off so they could try Fuyuko's cake.

Tick tick tick tick tick BLLLLRRRIINNNGGGG!

"Cake time!" Natsumi exclaimed. Fuyuko put on her oven mitt and grabbed the cake from the oven.

"Not just yet, Natsumi," she said. "We've got to let it rest. Plus, I need to make my glaze! That'll make it even more yummy!"

When the cake was cooled and on its cake stand, Fuyuko drizzled her honey lemon glaze over the top of it, the girls eagerly stood around her with hungry eyes. The baker cut four pieces off of the cake and gave them to her friends.

"It's time to eat!" They said in unison. Each girl took a bite and grabbed their cheeks.

"So good!" Natsumi said.

"So sweet!" Orianna said.

"Nice and tangy!" Aki said.

"It is good! But it needs some work," Fuyuko said. "But, the good thing is that the bake sale isn't for another couple of days so I can perfect this by then!"

* * *

After much testing and reworking the recipe, Fuyuko had finally developed the perfect angel food cake (she remembered that blueberry and lemon are very good friends) for the bake sale. On the morning of the bake sale/off, the Sweets Club all met in the Home Ec room for one, final pre-sale meeting.

"Today's the day!" Sana said, her smile wide. "Remember, the candidate that makes the most money for their baked goods will be our next president!" Sana studied the four candidates with careful eyes. "I wish all of you good luck! Now," She was quiet for a moment. The whole room was still, waiting for Sana to speak again. "Let's sell some desserts!"

At lunch, the club set up a table and each candidate sat down and readied their sweets.

"Wow! Those cupcakes look amazing, Sayuri-san!" Fuyuko said. Sayuri blushed.

"You… You think?" She said, looking down at her hands.

"I know so!" Fuyuko said, chewing on a cupcake.

"Fu-Fuyuko!" Sayuri blurted out. "You had better pay for that! We may be friends, but I won't give you my sweets for free!"

"Of course I'll pay for it!" Fuyuko said, dropping a few yen coins in Sayuri's moneybox. "I'm more than happy to be your first customer," she said. "But don't forget! I'm in this to win this, just like you!"

Sayuri nodded. She turned her attention back to her own cupcakes as Sana walked out in front of the table.

"Sweets Club sweets! Get your Sweets Club sweets here!" She shouted over the din of the cafeteria. Slowly but surely, people began to come up to the table. Before Fuyuko and Sayuri knew it, they were selling their desserts like crazy.

Eventually, Natsumi, Aki and Orianna came up to Fuyuko's spot at the table.

"Good luck, Fuyu-nee!" Aki said.

"All of these look so good," Natsumi said, eyeing each and every piece of sweets on the table. "I might have to buy one of each…"

"If only I had my coin purse from back home… You'd be sure to win that way," Orianna said.

"You're all so kind! I have confidence in my angel food cake now! Thanks for your help, you three!" Fuyuko said.

* * *

Blanc fiddled with the sheet of purple metal that Ophelia had given him as he stood in the courtyard of the school. He knew Pretty Cure was here. He preferred to fight hand-to-hand, but Ophelia insisted he use an Industrialite. He grabbed the hilt of his sword and unsheathed it, the sheath tapping slightly against his thigh. He wrapped the piece of living metal around the blade and let go of it.

"Industrialite," he said, his voice deep and monotone. "Enemy of Nature. Take your form."

The blade floated out of Blanc's hand and the metal quickly consumed his sword, as if the metal had become liquid and swallowed the blade. Purple electricity crackled around the blade as it grew in size, and turned slightly amorphous, bubbling and shifting as it floated. When the dark matter began to take shape again, it was tall and humanoid. Two glowing purple eyes could be seen taking shape as the purple-y black metal began to fade into a grayish purple. When the transformation was complete, a twenty-foot suit of armor stood in front of Blanc.

"Now destroy this place. And destroy the Pretty Cure warriors."

* * *

A loud crash was heard from outside the school. Natsumi, Aki and Orianna had left the cafeteria and were making their way back to their classroom when they saw the hole in the wall that lead out to the entrance of the school.

"Here? And now?!" Natsumi said, looking over at Aki. The two girls nodded.

"Let's leave Fuyuko out of this one, today," Aki said.

"Definitely," Natsumi agreed. The two girls ran out of the hole, compasses ready.

**"Pretty Cure! Direction Change!"**

* * *

More crashing and loud noises could be heard all throughout the school. Students in the cafeteria began to scream and run out of the room. Teachers were calling for students to be calm and leave the building as safely as they could, but to no avail. The students wanted out and away from the loud noises.

Fuyuko watched as the students formed an ever-changing maze. She had to get out to the source of the noise. She knew exactly what was happening, and she didn't need the light from her pocket to tell her. She took her compass out of her pocket and ran as fast as she could.

"Excuse me! Sorry! Pardon me! I need to get somewhere! Excuse me!" She said. After some pushing and shoving, Fuyuko made it out of the cafeteria. Students were still running around, but one stream of students was exiting towards Fuyuko's left, and another to her right. The stream on the right was thinner as that was the direction of the noises. It was easier for Fuyuko to hop around the students.

The wall that had been opened up was a pile of rubble as Fuyuko stood in the empty space, watching Cure Cinder and Cure Chrome fight the Industrialite.

"Cinder! Chrome! I'm here to help!" She shouted. "Pretty Cure!" Fuyuko placed the Spirit Needle onto the face of her compass. "Direction Change!" With a light flick, the needle began to spin around the face. "North!" The dark blue half of the needled landed on the N.

Fuyuko held her hand high above her head, sapphire blue, watery light bursting from the compass face. She spun around, suspended in a bubble of dark, navy blue light. The watery light collected on her torso, forming a sleeveless, strapped vest. The light intensified and burst off revealing a dark and light blue top. Fuyuko crossed her arms over her chest as more light bubbled onto her arms. She thrust her arms downward and out, the bubbles exploding off her arms to reveal two navy, fingerless arm covers. A swirl of light spun around her waist and solidified into a two-layered skirt, the top layer sky blue, the bottom navy.

Two thin streams of light spiraled around her legs and tightened to reveal thigh high boots; two light blue bows were tied around her ankles. Fuyuko's dark hair glowed with light blue light, looking as if she had flowing water for hair. Two darker blue bubbles separated her hair and attached themselves to Fuyuko's head, the light bursting away to reveal thick, navy twin tails. Fuyuko's dark eyes were now crystal clear blue. A ribbon of light tied itself on Fuyuko's chest, pinging into a bow. Lastly a comet of dark blue light swirled around Fuyuko before attaching itself onto her left hip. The light exploded to reveal a dark, almost black, pouch that held her compass. She spun around once more before striking an elegant pose.

**"The Calm Northern Tortoise! Cure Stream!"**

"Stream! You don't have to be here!" Cinder said.

"Yeah, we got this! You go make sure the Sweets Club is okay!" Chrome cried over her shoulder. Distracted, the two warriors were both struck by the knight Industrialite, sending them both crashing into a school wall.

"What do you mean you've got this?!" Stream said, concern ringing in her voice. The navy Cure charged towards the knight. She slammed her shoulder into the Knight's shin, causing the monster to lose its balance for a second.

**"Stream Splash!"** Clear blue water formed in Stream's open palm, forming a sphere. She slapped her hand against the shin once more, the sphere bursting into more water than appeared to compose it. The knight took another unsteady step. But the ground was now slick with water, and the knight soon found itself on its back.

**"Chrome Iron Fist!"**

**"Cinder Rocket!"**

Cures Chrome and Cinder slammed into the Industrialite, causing it to stay down on the ground. But that wasn't enough to keep it down. It got back up, but when it did, it stood at what the warriors guessed was a form of attention.

"Well done Pretty Cure," a voice said. It was a new voice to all three girls present. They all looked around, jerking their heads in every direction, looking for the source. "But you won't be able to defeat the cold steel of my blade." Blanc dropped down from the roof of the school.

"Queen Platania will get the princess and soon she'll take over this world as well."

"Who is this guy?" Cinder whispered to her teammates.

"I've never seen him before," Stream said. "Have you not?"

Chrome and Cinder shook their heads. Blanc was walking – no it was more like marching – to the huddle of magical warriors.

"You cannot win. So just surrender the princess to me now and we'll get out of your hair."

"We'll never let you guys take Orianna!" Cinder said, red flames engulfing her body. **"Cinder Rocket!"** She didn't charge for the Inustrialite this time, however. She charged towards Blanc. The military general quickly sidestepped the fiery girl.

"My name is Blanc, the White General, the Machine Empire's military leader. I know how to fight and win a war, ladies." Blanc's voice was calm, and chillingly steely. "Industrialite! Destroy them!"

The Industrialite snapped back into action, swinging its blade down into the ground. Stream and Chrome sprinted in opposite directions. When the knight picked its blade up, a deep, v shaped crevice was in the ground.

"Well we won't let you get Orianna!" Chrome yelled. **"Chrome Iron Fist!"**

"Not on Fuyuko's important day!" Cinder shouted. **"Cinder Impact!"**

The two girls hit the Industrialite at the same time in each shin, again causing it to topple over. But it caught itself and kicked Chrome back. It was about to bring its blade down on Stream, but she acted quickly.

**"Pretty Cure! Stream Wall!"**

The earth before Cure Stream cracked in a long line. Then, as if a mouth was opening, the earth split open and instantly a wall of blue water erupted from it. The blade met the forceful water, but couldn't go more than a few feet down.

"Cinder! Chrome! Finish it!"

**"Pretty Cure! Cinder Flame!"**

**"Pretty Cure! Chrome Cannon!"**

Like before, the flames and the orb of energy combined into one attack as it slammed into the knight's chest. Red and white light consumed the Industrialite before it exploded, sending a cloud of gray smoke skyward.

Golden light from above and within the earth restored the school and the ground to the way it had been before Blanc's Industrialite attacked.

"So you have a defensive warrior," Blanc said, eyeing Stream with an odd mix of curious interest and seething rage. "An interesting development." Blanc disappeared in a flash of white diamonds.

* * *

"So," Sana said, pacing in front of the Sweets Club. "One of you will be giving the closing remarks to this Sweets Club meeting as the new president! And I have the winner," Sana said, pointing at her temple. "Right here. The winner of the sell-a-thon and new president of our Sweets Club is…" The room was quiet in suspenseful silence. Sana smiled as she teased them, opening her mouth but not saying anything just yet.

"The winner is… Jun-san! For your delicious mini cheesecakes with strawberry sauce!" The Home Ec room erupted in cheers and claps as a tall, lanky boy smiled wide, but ultimately surprised. Fuyuko looked over at Sayuri. The girl had a sad smile on her face.

"You had some delicious cupcakes, Sayuri!" Fuyuko said.

"Your cupcakes were my favorite, honestly," Jurai said to the girl. Sayuri was silent for a while, her fists clenched so tight her knuckles were white. She let out a big sigh.

"Well, I knew it was a long shot, a first year becoming the president! But I gave it my best effort, and I'll try and become president next year!" Sayuri said, a genuine smile on her face.

"That's the spirit!" Fuyuko said.

The meeting adjourned and Fuyuko ran out to meet Natsumi, Aki and Orianna.

"So did you win?!" Aki asked excitedly.

"Sadly, I did not. But I had fun! It was a great learning experience for me!" Fuyuko said. She wasn't sure exactly what she had learned (other than you can always change a recipe, though that was more reinforced than anything) but she felt like she had learned something.

"That's great!" Natsumi said. "We do have a question for you though…"

"Oh?"

Natsumi, Orianna and Aki all exchanged glances before Aki blurted out the question.

"Fuyu-nee will you be the leader of our Pretty Cure team?!"

"Eeeeeh?"

* * *

"Haruka!"

Haruka's teal eyes flashed open, and she popped one of her earphones out. Her mother was looking back at her from the front, passenger seat.

"Thank you for waking," she said. "Now why don't you take a look at our new house? Isn't it lovely?" Haruka's mother opened the door of their car, Haruka followed suit. It was a tall, wide mansion not unlike any Haruka had lived in before.

"Yeah, mom, it's really pretty and great. Can I just go to my room?" Haruka said, not trying in the least to sound excited. Surely the movers would have put her room together already. Surely her mother paid them more than enough that they would do so. "Why did we have to move out here?" she muttered.

* * *

Preview:

Fuyuko: You three want me to be the leader? Why?

Aki: Because you're just so nice!

Natsumi: You're just really good at being a Pretty Cure warrior!

Fuyuko: Stop! I'm blushing!

Natsumi: And your first mission is to find our last member!

Orianna: Oh wait, there she is!

Natsumi: Eeeh?

Next time on Compass Pretty Cure!: Patient Tortoise: Fuyuko's Leader Practice! Find the Final Member!


	6. Fuyuko's Leader Practice!

"Eeeeh?!" Fuyuko said. "You want me to be the leader?" Aki and Natsumi nodded their heads furiously. "But… But why?"

"Well, we got to thinking," Aki said. "You wanted to be the Sweets Club president so badly. And you're just so nice to everyone you meet. People listen to you when you talk to them or tell them to do something."

"Also," Natsumi chimed in. "Without you, Orianna might have been snatched up by the Machine Empire by now. Aki and I don't have any kind of defensive powers when it comes to fighting the Machine Empire. You've saved our butts twice now because of that awesome Stream Wall of yours!"

"They came up with the idea of it, but when they told me about it, I had to agree," Orianna said. Fuyuko was silent for a few minutes. She tilted her head down, her bangs casting a shadow over her eyes. It was obvious she was thinking things over. Then, after what felt like forever to Aki and Natsumi, she lifted her head up.

"Okay! I'll give it a shot!" She said.

"Yay!" Natsumi, Aki and Orianna said in unison.

"Now," Orianna said. "Your first mission as leader is this: Find the fourth and final member!"

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure Episode 6 – Patient Tortoise: Fuyuko's Leader Practice! Find the Final Member!_

* * *

Haruka opened her eyes and stared at the soft blue ceiling above her. It was a good thing the movers had gotten the memo that her mother expected this place to be semi-unpacked and the rooms to be set up by the time they got there. To Haruka, it wasn't much of a difficult transition. She had her bed, and her room looked strikingly similar to her old room that she left behind in Tokyo. She grabbed her phone from the windowsill to her right. 6:04 AM. It was still dark, but some light was beginning to spill in. She had woken up before her alarm, and once she was awake, there was no point in her trying to go back to sleep.

"Why did we have to move here?" Haruka asked for the hundredth time since she got out of the car yesterday afternoon. She understood that her mother was opening another branch of her dance company/dance school hybrid here on the island, but did they really have to _move_ to the island, too? Every time she asked her mother, she would brush it off with an "Oh, we just need a change of pace!" or "Haruka, really, how many times are you going to ask me that?" Never any middle ground; it was one answer or the other. The whole thing was black and white, yet completely gray to Haruka all at the same time.

It wasn't that she hated the island atmosphere. Just the opposite. She looked forward to going to the beach almost every summer. Even when she would visit her aunt in America, she would still go to the beach. And it wasn't that she was leaving friends either. No, the Higashi family moved around too much for Haruka to make friends, much less for her to leave them. Haruka just wanted to stay in one place for more than six months.

"Haruka," her mother called from outside her room. "Are you getting ready? Remember, you have to go to the local High School so you can recruit some new members or even some new applicants."

Haruka rolled her eyes. Of course her mother would need to get new students and new participants. But of course, she was too busy to do it herself so she had Haruka do it. Haruka knew she was being whiny, but it still didn't make it any better. Haruka had competition to prepare for. She should be doing that instead of going to the high school and campaigning for her mother.

But if there was any bright side to doing so for her mother it meant missing a day of classes (Haruka never was particularly fond of her tap and hip hop classes, which were right at the beginning of the day) and a lunch with her mother. Good, quality time with her mother. A single knock on Haruka's door meant it was really time to get up and get ready. And with it, Haruka flung of her sheets and got ready for the day.

* * *

Homeroom buzzed with the usual early morning, pre-school chatter.

"…And I put mini chocolate chips in the dough to give it something a little something special," Fuyuko was saying.

"Oh my gosh, Fuyuko!" Natsumi said, placing her chin in her hands and closing her eyes, imagining what the dessert Fuyuko just described would taste like. "I wish I had the ability to bake like you. Hey! Hotaru runs a little shop just on the boarder of Shizenshima Central and South! If you had any leftovers or you made too much stuff, you could always give her some! As free samples, of course," Natsumi said.

Fuyuko was about to answer when the door slid open to reveal Tachibana-sensei, a middle-aged woman with salt and pepper hair, and a wire framed pair of glasses positioned on the tip of her nose.

"Settle down, class," she said. The class went quiet as they went through their morning routine. Once roll call was done, Tachibana-sensei said she had an announcement.

"This morning, we have a guest." A few murmurs could be heard amongst the students. Tachibana-sensei turned to the door and gestured, signaling whomever was behind to enter. The door slid open and a tall, lean girl walked in. There was a confidence to her gait as she took each step. Even though she was wearing dark leggings, it was obvious that the girl had toned legs. Silky teal hair was pulled into pigtails that draped just barely over her shoulders.

"This is Higashi Haruka," Tachibana-sensei said. "Feel free to speak."

"Good morning," Haruka said, bowing. "As Tachibana-sensei said, my name is Higashi Haruka. I'm a student of the Higashi Dance Company." At the mention of the prestigious dance school, chatter erupted amongst the students.

"THE Higashi Dance Company?!"

"Wait, her name is Higashi Haruka! Is she owner?!"

"No! She just said she's a student! Plus, she's too young! I bet on of her parents runs the school."

"Students!" Tachibana-sensei said sternly, but not so loudly that she was yelling or scolding them.

"To answer a few questions I heard just now, no I'm not the owner or founder. But yes, my mother is both of those things," Haruka took a deep breath before speaking again. "My mother has one mission: to make sure that everyone knows the joy of dance. For those of you interested, we are holding auditions for dance troupes that will count as an afterschool extracurricular. My mother spoke with your principal to get special permission to do so."

More chatter erupted, but it quickly went away as Haruka began speaking again.

"And for those of you serious enough about dance, the Higashi Dance Company is opening a new chapter here, on Shizenshima Island, and we will be accepting applications for that as well."

More chatter, so much so that Tachibana-sensei had to actually shout this time.

"Students! Please! Is that all, Higashi-san?"

"I believe so," Haruka said. She bowed, turned to leave, but something caught her eye. A flash of teal could be seen in a white bag on the chair of a girl sitting in the second row. But it was gone when she looked directly at the bag. The girl, with a thin frame and long blond hair, looked sternly at Haruka, as if she noticed it, too.

Haruka shook her head, chalking it up to her seeing things. She stepped through the door as Tachibana-sensei began to speak to her class. Haruka sighed.

"Now I have to say that about twenty more times," she muttered.

* * *

"Let me guess," Ophelia said as she paced, not looking at the three Generals before her. "All these failed attempts at getting the Princess had to be purely information gathering missions… right?" Ophelia stopped pacing and turned to her left, looking out at the control room and the lone pillar that held Queen Platania.

"You could say that," Blanc said through gritted teeth. He wasn't one to normally show his emotions. But he and Ophelia never got along well, and her tone was derogatory, which he hated.

"It would appear that we have underestimated their power, simply put," Jonah said. "Need I remind you that you, too, sent out an Industrialite and failed to bring the princess back, Ophelia?" Jonah had no malicious intent in their voice. In fact, the whole string was monotone. Ophelia snapped her head back in the direction of the Generals.

"You would be correct, Jonah," she said begrudgingly. It is true, she had sent one out without her having to leave the control room. It was the first time that the Northern Pretty Cure had transformed and even though the girl had only defensive powers, she still managed to defeat it.

"Today that changes though," Ophelia said, gaining her composure. "Today I will make sure that princess is ours and Pretty Cure doesn't gain a new member."

* * *

Natsumi, Orianna, Aki and Fuyuko all huddled their desks together as they ate lunch.

"You guys," Orianna said after each girl had eaten about half of her lunch. "I think I know who our last member is."

"Eeeeeeeeeeeh?!" Fuyuko said, a little too loudly.

"It was that girl that came in about the dance school!" Orianna said, taking a delicate bite of rice.

"You mean my first mission as leader pretty much just fell into my lap?" Fuyuko asked, comically horrified.

"Why do you look so upset? This should be a good thing! We didn't have to do much to find her. She landed right in our laps. Like you said," Aki said, sketching while she picked at her food.

"It's because she landed right in our laps that I'm upset!" Fuyuko said. She pushed her food away and pouted. "I didn't get to do some cool sleuthing or anything," she said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Well," Natsumi said. "I don't think your job is quite done yet." The three girls turned to Natsumi, giving her quizzical looks. "Well sure, you may have found her," Natsumi continued. "But the real effort comes in convincing her to join the team. Not everyone is going to be as willing as the three of us to join some group of magical warriors that no one knows about."

"You bring up a good point," Fuyuko said, interest in her food returning. "As leader of Pretty Cure, I'll do my best to make sure that Higashi-san joins our team! And that she doesn't feel weird or pressured into doing so," Fuyuko added on quickly.

"Now, the question is," Orianna said. "How do we get her alone so we can talk to her about this?"

* * *

The day finished without as much excitement as it had started. The four girls were on their way out of the school and walking through the courtyard when they saw the dark green and teal plaid jacket/skirt and the shiny teal hair. Before anyone could talk about their next move, Fuyuko dashed towards the other girl.

"Excuse me!" she shouted. The teal haired girl turned to face Fuyuko. Confused, the girl stopped to see why a random girl was flagging her down. No… It wasn't a random girl. Haruka recognized the girl with long, dark hair from the very first class she visited that morning.

"Can… I help you?" she asked hesitantly.

"Um," Fuyuko said. "I was just wondering if you had some time to talk? My name is Kita Fuyuko, by the way. This is Minami Natsumi, Orianna Beaumont and my second cousin, Nishi Aki."

"Oh, are you wanting to join the school or a dance troupe? I can tell you where the new location is and you can ask-"

"No," Fuyuko interrupted. Natsumi, Aki and Orianna had walked up behind Fuyuko. "I don't have any interest in joining the school or a dance troupe." At this Haruka folded her arms and twisted her face in slight annoyance. "I was just wanting to know if you had some time to maybe… talk about something?" Fuyuko wasn't sure where to start.

"Make it quick," Haruka said, eyes pointed downward looking at her nails. "I've got to meet my mother for a late lunch and I can't miss that."

"Could you maybe just consider joining a… club of ours?" Fuyuko asked, her voice going up a few octaves as she spoke.

"A club?" Haruka said, clearly uninterested. "I'm really sorry but I don't have much time for clubs or anything. I've got a lot on my plate as it is. Plus, I don't go to this school so it's not like I'd count as an official member or anything."

"Oh, no," Fuyuko said, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "It's an out of school club. It's one the four of us," Fuyuko gestured to the girls around her. "Made together. It's kind of like a community service club. A 'green' club if you will."

Haruka was quiet for a moment. Her annoyed expression was replaced with casual interest.

"A community service club?"

"Y-yeah!" Fuyuko said. "We, uh, we go around the beach picking up liter and things like that."

Haruka was quiet for another moment, contemplating it.

"Meet me at the Shopping Center on Sunday. Food court. Noon. I'll talk it over with my mom. See if I can have some extra time. I'm not saying it's a guarantee I'll join, but if I can, I probably won't be able to go to many meetings. In addition to my mom I've got my own competitions to prepare for."

"I promise it won't take long! What would we meet about exactly?" Fuyuko said.

"Well you'd tell me specifics about the club. See if there are any organizations that you also collaborate with. Listen, I've really got to go. I'll be late to lunch with my mom. See you Sunday." And with a swish of teal hair, Haruka turned and was walking out of the school.

"Eeeeeehh…?"

"Fuyu-nee…"

"She seemed prepared for this more than we were…" Natsumi said.

* * *

Fuyuko wiped the sweat off her forehead as she plopped down on the couch in the family room. She was baking – again – but not because of the sweets club. She needed to clear her mind, and baking always helped her with that. Her two younger siblings were napping and her two older sisters, as well as her father, were at work. Only her mother stayed at home.

It was tight living in the apartment, but it fit six people decently. Her parents shared a room, her younger siblings shared a room and she shared a room with her older sisters. But since Fuyuko was constantly baking most of the time, she usually found herself waking up either on the couch she was sitting on or a tall, bar stool at tall counter that separated the living room from the kitchen.

She stared at the ceiling, eyelids feeling heavy. She rolled her head over to the clock hanging on the wall. It was only 7:13PM, and already she felt like she had spent all her energy.

"Am I fit to be the leader?" She wondered aloud, shifting her eyes to her school back on the tall counter. Her compass was inside. She loved being a Pretty Cure. The revelation turned her whole world upside down, but still. Part of the whole appeal of it – to Fuyuko anyway – was that it was fun. She knew it was serious, considering that real people have fallen into a state of despair over everything related to that compass in her bag… She shook her head. She didn't like thinking about sad things like that.

"I can do this," she said, clapping her palms against her cheeks. "I can get Higashi-san to join us!"

* * *

"Alright, stop! Girls, stop."

The twenty some-odd girls in leotards, toe wraps and leggings were panting, sweat dripping from their faces.

"Girls, we have been doing this for two hours now and none of you seem to have picked up any of the new choreography. And it's just two counts of eight! Not that much!"

The choreographer paced in silence for a few minutes, inspecting all her dancers.

"Higashi," she said short and sharp. "Show them how it's done."

Haruka walked up to the front of the group, staring at her own sweaty reflection in the long wall of mirrors. She had picked up the two eight counts an hour ago. It wasn't perfect, but she could get through it without any major stumbles. Dance was a language to Haruka, and it was one she understood very well. She was always picking up choreography faster than the rest of her troupe. Which is why she soloed as often as she could. But every student was required to do a group number for competition. And the founder's daughter was no exception.

"Not perfect, but it'll do. That's how you do it girls," the choreographer said. "Again. Higashi, to your spot."

Haruka could feel the eyes boring into her as she found her way back to her spot in the formation. She didn't care. It was their fault for not getting the choreography right away.

"_If something needs to be done, it's best if I do it myself_,_"_ Haruka thought.

* * *

Sunday rolled around, finally. Natsumi, Aki, Fuyuko and Orianna all cautiously stood in the food court.

"How are you going to tell her the truth?" Orianna asked.

"I'm sure Fuyu-nee thought of something," Aki said.

"Well, however Fuyuko tells her, let's just hope she believes us," Natsumi said.

It felt odd to Fuyuko. She felt like all of the responsibility was taken off of the other three girls and dumped onto her. She wasn't sure how she was going to tell Haruka the truth. And it hurt her a little that none of her friends offered to help her out.

"Oh! There she is!" Orianna said, her arm shooting up in the air to wave down Haruka. The tall girl noticed Orianna's hand and began walking over to the huddle of girls.

"Nice to see you four on time," she said, shooting a glance at her watch. "But again, make it quick. I've got a private dance lesson in an hour, and the dance studio is about twenty minutes away from the mall."

The five girls found a table close by and took a seat at it. All of them were quiet for a few moments, all four girls staring at Fuyuko. Normally she shone in moments like this. She had often been described as a "give-her-an-inch-and-she'll-take-a-mile" type of people. But not right now. She didn't want a mile, much less an inch.

"We-well, where to begin," she said weakly. "We normally meet ever other Sunday. And we meet at different beaches around the is-"

"Ahem," Orianna coughed.

"Oh, right," Fuyuko said. "Um, Higashi-san. I need to tell you something."

Orianna took out the last compass from her white bag and placed it on the table.

"What's this?" Haruka asked, picking it up and inspecting it.

"It's called a PreCompass," Fuyuko said. She was finding little pieces of courage as she spoke. It wasn't easy since Haruka gave off such an intimidating vibe, but she had committed to it now. "And we actually aren't in a green club." She said finally.

"You're not, huh?" Haruka said, surprisingly unsurprised. "The way you four were acting so seriously when we sat down made me assume you weren't meeting me for what you told me."

"No, we're not," Fuyuko said, trying not to be thrown by Haruka's aloofness. "We're something called Pretty Cure."

"Pretty Cure?"

"Yes, Pretty Cure," Orianna said.

"We're a group of warriors who fight bad people that call themselves the Machine Empire. They want to replace everything in nature with modern things and, well, machines," Natsumi said.

Now that the conversation had been opened, Natsumi and Orianna were more willing to give some input. Aki nodded silently as everyone spoke.

"And when you saw Orianna the day you came to class, that compass," Fuyuko said, pointing to the PreCompass in Haruka's hand. "Responded to you. Which meant that you are a member of our team."

Haruka was quiet, inspecting the compass. She flicked the needle sitting on top of it. Her needle was half white, half teal in color.

"Those compasses have enlisted these three into saving my home which was taken over by the Machine Empire," Orianna said.

"Would you consider joining us in saving Orianna's home land?" Fuyuko ventured.

* * *

Ophelia looked down at her computer screen. Bright orange letters forming "READY" blared in her face. She smirked as she pressed a button on her keyboard. A few seconds later, a confirmation appeared on her screen.

"Industrialite Attack Underway" the orange text read.

* * *

Haruka looked at the compass and back to the group of girls in front of her a few times.

"Listen," she said. "Even if what you said were true, there's no way I have the time to act on this. You four seem like really nice girls… And while I don't think you're lying to me, it's hard to take all this in. I mean, it sounds like you're describing something to me that belongs in a TV show or a book or a movie." Haruka put the compass down. "I'm going to have to pass," she said standing.

As soon as she did, screams could be heard throughout the mall. The other four girls shot up when a loud, guttural bellow could be heard, their own compasses giving of a faint glow. A few seconds later, a large, purple-ish black, robotic looking Minotaur came bounding through the food court. People continued to scream and run. Orianna tried to herd some of them away from the Industrialite.

"Well then you'll just have to see for yourself how serious this is," Fuyuko said, staring Haruka right in the eyes before turning around to face the Industrialite. "Ready girls?"

"Ready!"

"**Pretty Cure! Direction Change!"**

"**The Fiery Southern Bird! Cure Cinder!"**

"**The Steely Western Tiger! Cure Chrome!"**

"**The Calm Northern Tortoise! Cure Stream!"**

Haruka stared at the three girls in front of her as they all transformed into completely different people. If she didn't believe them before, she definitely believed them now.

"Help us if you can. But if you can't right now, then get somewhere safe!" Stream said. The three warriors all charged at the Minotaur from different angles.

"**Cinder Rocket!"** Cure Cinder flew at the Minotaur; bright red flames streaking off her body. She didn't make contact, however. Instead, she collided with some tables.

"Cinder are you okay?" Chrome said, kneeling next to her teammate.

"I'm fine. I can't seem to get the hang of that one… But there's no time tot talk about that! We've got to take care of this monster!"

"Right. **Chrome Chains!**" Cure Chrome's fists glowed white before thick, shining silver chains snaked their way to the Minotaur. The wrapped themselves around its ankles, but this Industrialite was strong, and smart. It brought its massive axe down on the chains, severing the leverage that Chrome had gotten on it.

"Crap," she muttered under her breath. Stream had gotten close to the monster, her navy hair spinning around her as she punched and kicked at the Minotaur's shin. The Industrialite turned its attention to her, which is what she wanted. The Minotaur hefted its axe above its head before bringing it down.

"**Stream Shield!"** Swirling blue water appeared out of thin air a couple of feet above Stream's head. The axe would go right through it, she was aware, but it would give Stream a few moments to run out from harm's way. When the axe made contact with the water shield, the water disappeared and the axe slammed into the ground. The Minotaur tugged hard, but the axe was stuck in the ground for the time being.

"RRRRRAAAAAAAAWWWWWWW," it bellowed. It charged for Stream, catching up fast. It swat her aside, and Stream hit a wall, the wind knocked out of her.

"**Chrome Iron Fist!"**

"**Cinder Impact!"**

Cinder and Chrome threw their attacks at the Industrialite, but their attacks seemed to only annoy the monster. It roared again and charged for the red and white warriors.

"Run!" Chrome shouted.

"Now would be a good time to have a shield attack, like Stream!" Cinder shouted as the Industrialite slammed its fists around the two girls.

Haruka watched from a distance behind and overturned kiosk.

"This_ is what they wanted me to do?"_ She thought. How could they expect her to say yes to something like this? She thought of Stream's comment before the fight began.

"_Well then you'll just have to see for yourself how serious this is."_

It was serious all right. But so serious that Haruka wasn't sure she was willing to put her life on the line for someone she just met days ago. She felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She turned to her left to see Orianna kneeling next to her.

"Everyone is in a safe area. But I don't think this Industrialite is going anywhere outside the food court," the princess said. She smiled at Haruka, offering her the compass with her other hand. "You ready to join them?"

Before Haruka could answer, two loud shrieks were heard. Orianna jerked her head around the side of the kiosk and her eyes widened in horror. All three of her warriors were down. There was no way they stood a chance against this Industrialite. She turned back to Haruka, her eyes shining with tears.

"You need to help them," she said, forcing the compass into Haruka's hands. Haruka sighed, looking down at it. She looked back up at Orianna, nodded and stood. The compass began to glow with teal light. A small smirk appeared on Haruka's face.

"I guess I really do have to do everything myself," she said. The light faltered for a moment, and a crack formed on the Spirit Needle, but she didn't notice it. Orianna felt her brows furrow at Haruka's comment.

"What?" She said, disbelief ringing in her voice. But Haruka didn't answer.

"What do I need to say?" She asked. "Pretty Cure, Direction Change? Was that it?"

Orianna didn't answer her. Rage was boiling under her skin. Haruka walked out in front of the kiosk.

"Let's get this over with," she said, her voice loud and arrogant. "Pretty Cure! Direction Change!" Haruka placed the needle on the compass face as she saw the other warriors do…

But nothing happened.

"Higashi-san, look out!" Stream shouted. In a flash of navy, Stream stood a few feet in front of Haruka. Haruka hadn't noticed the Minotaur was about to bring its massive axe down on the two of them.

"**Pretty Cure! Stream Wall!"**

Water burst upward from the ground, giving some protection to the two girls. The Minotaur had begun to bring its axe down, but the water was so powerful that it pushed the monster's arms back up when it collided with the axe, causing the Minotaur to lose its balance and fall backwards.

"Why isn't this working?!" Haruka shouted. "I did everything you three did! And I can't transform! Why?"

"I don't know, but please get back behind the kiosk! It's not safe if you can't transform!"

"**Pretty Cure! Cinder Flame!"**

"**Pretty Cure! Chrome Cannon!"**

Cures Cinder and Chrome had managed to get back on their feet and fired their attacks. Their two attacks combined into one and landed directly on the Minotaur, causing an explosion of red and white smoke.

* * *

When the smoke cleared, rays of golden light shone from above and restored the courtyard back to normal.

The three Cures and the Princess looked at Haruka. The Cures were concerned, but Orianna was seething.

"Wh… Why didn't it work?" Haruka asked again. "I was going to take care of it. I was going to fight. I was going to take care of it by myself!" She said. In that instant, the sound of something shattering could be heard. The Spirit Needle burst into teal specks of dust and a dark crack formed on the surface of the PreCompass face. Haruka looked up at the four girls in front of her.

Orianna walked over to the girl and snatched the compass out of her hands.

"I don't know why we thought you were a Pretty Cure. I don't know what that Compass saw in you," Orianna said, her anger taking over. "But you are _not_ Pretty Cure material. A Pretty Cure Warrior needs to know how to be a member of a team. Which clearly, you don't."

Haruka, speechless, wasn't sure what to do. She tried to find words to say, but they weren't coming.

Instead the girl turned on her heel and ran.

"Orianna…" Fuyuko said, detransforming from her cure form.

"That was a little harsh," Natsumi said.

"I don't care! If she's not willing to fight with you guys… If she's not willing to save my home… How can I trust her?"

* * *

A few days later, Fuyuko had made her decision. She couldn't be the leader anymore. And she needed to tell the other girls. After the final bell rang, she told them to wait, that she needed to talk.

"What's up, Fuyu-nee?" Aki asked.

"I need to say something…" She said quietly. "I don't think I can be the leader."

"You don't?" Natsumi asked.

"No… You guys wanted me to be the perfect leader and… you had good intentions and I know you didn't mean it, but it put a lot of pressure on me. And even though I was the leader, you guys didn't seem to be willing to help me out how to get Higashi-san on our side."

"Oh…" Natsumi said, crestfallen.

"But please, don't beat yourself up for it! I know I could have just asked for help. But… I don't know, I just wanted to be the perfect leader for you two…"

Aki, Natsumi and Orianna didn't say anything. But a big smile spread on Natsumi's face.

"The important thing is that you told us! And your right," she said. "It wasn't fair for us to put all that responsibility on you. We'll get our final member on the team and we'll figure out who the true leader is!"

Fuyuko sighed with relief.

"Thank you for taking it well," she said.

"Fuyu-nee we wouldn't want you to be unhappy," Aki said.

"Thank you again. Now who's up for some cookies?!"

* * *

Preview:

Haruka: How can I learn to be a team player?

Natsumi: Well…

Haruka: I really want to be a Pretty Cure! But I've never been good with teams.

Natsumi: Don't worry! I'm your friend and I'll help you out no matter what?

Haruka: You're… my friend?

Next time on Compass Pretty Cure!: _Dancing Dragon: The Lonely Haruka! Cure Willow's Lesson in Teamwork!_


	7. Cure Willow's Lesson in Teamwork!

Haruka felt the pain in her fingers dull as she clutched her sheets with white fingertips. Her eyes stung in the same way her heart stung. She had never been spoken to the way Orianna had spoken to her the day before. While she was a little angry with the other girl for her biting remarks, she also felt guilty. What was it that she didn't understand? She was going to do what they wanted her to do… right? But she felt something else, as well. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

"Haruka, you had better be getting ready," Haruka's mother's voice came, muffled from behind the door. She punctuated her sentence with her signature single knock on the door.

"I… I'm not feeling well today," Haruka said. It wasn't a lie, but she knew her mother would take it in another way. "I think I need to stay home today."

"Oh. Well get to feeling better, darling," she said.

Haruka heard her mother's footsteps recede. She loved her mother, but sometimes she was in her own world. She could only think how another mother would come in and check on her daughter if she said she wasn't feeling well. Put the back of her hand against her daughter's forehead, ask questions. That sort of thing. But Haruka couldn't blame her. Her mother was always busy, and while it was easy for Haruka to feel like maybe she was forgotten, she knew her mother loved her.

Haruka knew it was only a matter of time before she heard the next knock on her door. This knock was softer, and sounded a few times.

"Come in," she said.

"Mom said you're not feeling well?" Her father asked.

"Not in the way that mom probably meant it," Haruka said, turning to face her father. He was tall, and had the same toned, lean build Haruka had. He was a dancer when he was younger. He had soft teal eyes and dark teal hair, streaked with a few strands of silver in the front.

"And what way did you mean it?" he asked, sitting down next to Haruka on her bed.

"I just… I feel guilty… Angry… But…" Haruka paused. "I also feel lonely."

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure – Episode 7: Dancing Dragon: The Lonely Haruka! Cure Willow's Lesson in Teamwork!_

* * *

"So," Haruka's father said, setting down a cup of coffee on the island in their enormous kitchen. "Lonely?"

Haruka stared at her egg white omelet, poking it halfheartedly. The fork dangled in her semi-limp fingers as she did so. She was glad that her father wanted to talk, even if she would have told him she didn't. Because Haruka did want to talk. But could she really explain to him everything that happened the day before?

"Yeah. Lonely," she said.

"Why do you feel lonely?"

"I just," Haruka started. She could feel the words wanting to spill out, but she had to edit what she told her father. No matter what she couldn't tell him about the magical side to this story. "I just kind of realized I don't have friends."

"What about Rumi and Ayako? You go shopping with them all the time. They even came to the island for the new school."

"Rumi and Ayako are hardly friends," Haruka said, pushing her plate away. "We can only go shopping when it's convenient for the two of them. And when I do hang out with them, all they want to do is gossip. Sometimes about me."

"What?" Haruka's father exclaimed, concern ringing in his voice. "Are you sure?"

"Pretty much. They use different names when they know I'm listening to them. They try to change up the situations that I was involved in, but I know. They're really only nice to me when they want something or to try and stay in my good graces because I'm the headmaster's daughter."

"Well we've been here for a few days and that would explain why you haven't had them over or gone to the shopping district."

The two were quiet while Haruka's father cleaned up the kitchen.

"And what about that anger and guilt?"

Haruka's heart began to beat a bit faster. She was never a good liar, and she could never lie to her father to his face. She wasn't Rumi or Ayako. But if she did decide to be honest, how could she be sure he'd believe her?

"I… Um… I think I had an opportunity to make some real friends for once and I blew it. So I feel guilty for blowing it but I'm angry with one girl because of her reaction to my blowing it. And I'm intentionally being vague," Haruka said, seeing the question form on her father's face before he had a chance to ask it.

"Well, if there's one thing I know about you Haruka," her father said, pulling up a seat next to Haruka at the dining room table. "It's that you'll figure it out. If these girls want to be your friend as well, they won't hold your mistake against you."

"I sure hope not," Haruka said, pulling her plate back to her.

* * *

_Seven-year-old Haruka stood at the door of her new classroom at her new school._

"_This is your school, Mamma?" Haruka asked. "I'm gonna learn how to dance here?"_

"_That's right, Haruka!" Haruka's mother knelt down to level with her daughter. "You said you wanted to learn how to dance, right?"_

"_Yeah! You and daddy looked sooooooo pretty in that video! I want to be pretty like mommy!"_

_Haruka's mother pulled her in close for a hug._

"_Mommy has to go now, okay? You go and make some new friends inside. I'll see you later today," she said._

"_Oh… Okay! I'll make sure to show you what I learned today!"_

_Haruka's mother smiled as she kissed her daughter on the forehead and turned to walk away. Haruka stared at her mother, wishing she could stay with her for just a few minutes more. She tugged at a loose strand of hair that had fallen out of her high pigtails. And she heard the door slide open next to her._

* * *

It was obvious to Natsumi that Orianna was having a hard time concentrating in class that day. She wasn't able to get much sleep the night before, either. Natsumi had heard the princess tossing in turning the night before. And before they went to bed, she could only talk about how Haruka couldn't transform. And how she felt badly for the way she reacted to that revelation. She was mad, yes. Mad that Haruka couldn't seem to understand that it was more than just needing Haruka on the team. But she was also mad at herself for handling the situation so poorly.

Natsumi had to wonder if this was the second time the princess had something that didn't go her way (the first obviously being the Machine Empire attacking on her birthday). It was only midday and Natsumi noticed the girl looking up at the clock constantly. It was a long day for both girls.

The bell finally rang and Orianna was the first up.

"I'll see you at home, Natsumi," she said quickly, her blond hair swishing swiftly as she bolted out the door.

"Is she okay?" Fuyuko asked.

"I think she's still upset about yesterday," Natsumi said. "She feels badly for reacting the way she did. But… It's hard for her, you know?"

"How do you mean?" Aki asked, the three girls exiting the classroom themselves.

"Well, think about it," Natsumi continued. "She's a princess. Everything she's ever wanted she pretty much got. Higashi-san is our last member and she wasn't able to transform right away. Orianna wasn't able to get what she wanted by the team staying incomplete after we found our final member. It's natural that she'd be upset."

"You really think Higashi-san is our partner?" Aki asked, the doubt clear in her voice.

"I do," Natsumi said confidently. "I think that's why the compass reacted the way it did. It wasn't able to find what it needed from Higashi-san to activate. But it knows that she's its owner."

"So how do we make Higashi-san a team player?" Fuyuko asked. "Orianna did say that Higashi-san wasn't thinking about anyone other than herself. She wasn't willing to do this for Orianna, or for us."

"Hmmmm…" Natsumi said, tapping her finger on her cheek. The girls walked out of the school in silence. "If only there was a way for one of us to get her alone," she said.

* * *

"Did you hear that Haruka didn't come to school today? Again?" Rumi said, the right corner of her lips curled upwards in a smirk. "Must be nice to be the headmaster's daughter, huh?"

"I bet she just stayed out too late, and was too busy sleeping to hear her alarm clock," Ayako said, eyes pointed downward as she stared back at her reflection in her compact. Daintily, she flicked pale orange bangs out of her eyes her thin fingers.

"I mean, it's only the first time she did it at the new school," Rumi said, shutting her locker and facing Ayako. "I'm honestly surprised she didn't skip the first day of school."

"Actually, now that I think about it I think I heard someone say the headmaster said she was sick," Ayako said.

"I was," Haruka said. Rumi and Ayako jumped as they turned to face Haruka as the girl entered the locker room.

"Oh! Haruka! We didn't hear you come in! Are you feeling better?" Rumi said, her voice an octave higher, her words cloyingly sweet.

"You certainly look good if you were sick earlier," Ayako said, mimicking Rumi. Haruka didn't say anything as she folded her arms. The two girls squawked insincere compliments for a few moments. Haruka's index finger tapped her bicep; she looked at anything but Rumi and Ayako. She knew what they were doing.

"Okay, that's enough," Haruka said. "I think it's best if we didn't talk anymore." Rumi and Ayako stopped talking immediately, both of their mouths slightly agape. "I honestly don't know why I put up with you two for so long. I'll see you at school, but please." Haruka turned to exit the room. "Just… Leave me alone."

* * *

"_Hi…" Young Haruka said, walking up to two girls holding on to the bar that ran along the mirrored wall. One had curly, pale orange hair pulled into a tight bun. The second hand thin, brown hair that was loose at the moment._

"_Hi," said the girls in unison. "Is this your first day, too?" The girl with orange hair asked. Haruka shyly nodded her head. "I think you need to put your hair up in a bun. 'S what the teacher told us. I'm Ayako. That's Rumi," she said, pointing to the girl with the brown hair._

"_Why are you tugging on your hair? My mommy says that's not something you should do," said Rumi, pulling her hair tight as if she were about to put her hair up before letting it drop around her face. "Ayako, help me."_

"_We'll be your friends." Ayako said as she helped Rumi tie her hair into a bun. And just like that, it was decided. And Haruka didn't protest. _

* * *

Ophelia slammed her fist into the wall, leaving a small indentation.

"How?!" she howled. "How are they so strong?!" The Orange General flung her head in the direction of Queen Platania. "They don't even have their whole team assembled! There's no possible way they could be giving us this much trouble."

Ophelia could feel the rage bubbling in her veins, her words felt like daggers. And the stoic figure of Queen Platania's pillar only fed that rage. How could this being trapped in a pillar really aid them?

"You must have patience, Ophelia."

Queen Platania's metallic voice echoed in the empty control room, still monotone, still emotionless. Ophelia stomped her way towards the pillar, fists clenched so hard a few small drops of crimson fell from her fists.

"Need I remind you that my plan is centuries in the making, child. I know what it's like to have plans fail. You must be _patient_." There was an emphasis on the word "patient," an emphasis that froze Ophelia in her tracks. She'd never heard the Queen be able to intonate like that before. "But if you must let out that anger, maybe you should pay Pretty Cure a visit yourself, like your peers instead of hiding in our ship."

* * *

"Ugh, how did we not find her? We looked everywhere," Aki said, slumping down into a chair in the food court of the shopping mall. There was no trace of anything that had happened the day before, and no one seemed to remember a thing about a giant mechanical Minotaur rampaging through the mall.

"I hope no one had to skip club activities today," Fuyuko said, checking her watch. It was 5:15 PM and the girls were tired from walking and running around, searching for a head of teal hair. "I was lucky the Sweets Club had an off day."

"No, it's a rest day for the Swim Club," Natsumi said, placing her chin in her right hand, elbow on the table.

"It wasn't a required club day for the Art Club. I finished my piece last week," Aki added.

"I wonder how Higashi-san's day was," Natsumi asked to no one in particular as she took a look at her phone that she had set on the table when she sat down. "Oh crap, I've got to go, you two. I promised Hotaru that I'd help her at the café tonight. I'll see you two tomorrow!"

* * *

Haruka was walking around the beach of the Southern prefecture. She hadn't really had a destination in mind when she left the locker room. She just knew she needed to get out and away from the world. The early evening sky was a watercolor mix of pink and orange, streaks of purple night coming from the west. The seaside breeze blew hard for a few moments, causing Haruka to look around for some shelter. There was a small café a short distance from her. With one last look at the sunset, Haruka headed for the café.

* * *

The wide, tall windows of the Beachside Café let in the sunset, setting the entire interior awash with orange. It was quiet in the café, but there were still a fair amount of people in the small cottage like building.

Natsumi was setting down a drink as the tinkle of the bells on the door sounded. She turned, a smile already on her face.

"Welcome to Beachside Café! You can find a seat any-oh," Natsumi cut herself off as she realized who had just walked in. "Higashi-san," she breathed.

"Oh… um," Haruka said, trying not to look at Natsumi. She grabbed her left arm and began to rub it sheepishly. "Hi," was all she said. Natsumi turned to Hotaru, who was manning the cash register behind her.

"Can I take a quick break?" Natsumi asked. Hotaru nodded her approval as Natsumi lead Haruka to a table right in front of one of the large windows. Haruka wasn't sure why, but she followed. There was a gentleness to Natsumi's smile that made Haruka feel comfortable.

"So what brings you to the café?" Natsumi asked.

"I'm… If I'm honest, I didn't really know this place was here," Haruka said, looking out at the sunset. "I haven't had time to explore the island since we got here. And I was just wondering around when the wind got really harsh and I thought I needed to get inside." Haruka shot a quick glance at Natsumi before looking back out the window.

"Got something on your mind?"

Was… Was she genuinely interested in what Haruka had to say? Haruka was hesitant for a moment before speaking.

"Y-yeah, kind of," she said. "Have… have you ever had a moment where you realized you were alone? Like you've never had a real friend before?"

"Yes," Natsumi said immediately. "Yeah, from the time when I was about seven to about ten years old I felt alone. I felt like no one understood me. Even Hotaru. But I met a friend when I was ten. Her name was Ayame and we became best friends." Natsumi spoke with a nostalgic tone.

"What happened to Ayame?" Haruka asked.

"She decided she wanted to study abroad for a little while last year. But we're not talking about me. You feel alone?" Natsumi said, turning the conversation back on Haruka.

"Um… Yeah. I've had two 'friends,' if you could really call them that, for about nine years now. But today I kind of realized they weren't real friends. And then I realized I've never had real friends before." Haruka wasn't sure why she was opening up to Natsumi this much. Something about the other girl made her at ease, that she knew Natsumi was listening to every word.

"And then I got to thinking about how I had a chance, maybe, to become friends with you and the girls from yesterday… And… And how I blew it."

"I don't think you did," Natsumi said. Haruka looked up at the girl across from her, eyes shining. "We were all upset you couldn't transform, yeah… But the reason you couldn't transform made for a perfect opportunity for us to get to know you. Make you feel like you're finally a part of a team."

Haruka felt a few tears roll down her face.

"You think so?" She asked, giving a small sniffle.

"I know so," Natsumi said. "The compass picked you because you needed to experience what a true friend was."

"Even though the princess was mad at me?

Natsumi was silent for a few seconds, choosing her words carefully.

"Orianna… Well… She's difficult to get along with at first. It's easy to think of her as this entitled brat because she was a princess. But you have to keep in mind that she's a stranger in this world. Everything she knew was ripped away from her in a split second. She's selfish in that she expect so many other people to be unselfish for her." Natsumi paused. "Does it excuse her behavior? No. Not at all. She does owe you an apology. And I think she knows that. But I think she was so ready to make a new friend like she did with me and the other two that when it didn't happen right away…" The two sat without speaking for a few moments, listening to the idle din of the café.

"You'll know what it means to have true friends," Natsumi said.

"Thank you… Minami-san, was it?"

"Call me Natsumi!"

"Okay… Thank you, Natsumi," Haruka said.

* * *

Ophelia stood on the beach, staring at the ocean in front of her. The sun had set, but the light could still be seen. It would be dark soon. She hated the look of a sunset. She hated the look of open waters. It was all too… chaotic, unpredictable and uncontrollable. Her frown deepened as she pulled out a small gun-shaped object.

"Industrialite. Enemy of Nature. Take your form," Ophelia said quietly. She aimed her Industrialite holder out at the water in front of her and pulled the trigger. Instead of there being the sound of a gunshot, a black orb appeared at the opening of the barrel, purple electricity streaking around it. A second later the orb flew at the water, plunging deep beneath the surface. Moments later, a tall tower of water erupted from the ocean, a deafening shriek following it.

The water fell from the monster, revealing a tall, slender Industrialite that had the shape of a woman's body. It had long, pointed fingers and its legs came to points rather than feet. Menacing purple eyes glowed from two black eye sockets and a jagged mouth could be seen.

"RIP THIS WORLD APART!" Ophelia ordered, flinging her left arm outwards. The siren Industrialite rushed forward before shrieking once more.

* * *

Haruka and Natsumi's conversation was cut short at the sound of screams coming from outside the café followed by an earsplitting shriek. Natsumi felt her compass grow warm in her apron pocket.

"Its and Industrialite," she whispered to Haruka. "Get everyone to safety, I'll take care of this."

Natsumi rushed out of the café, Hotaru's objections falling on deaf ears. Haruka stood, staring at Hotaru with determined eyes.

"We need to get everyone to safety first!"

"But my sister-"

"Will be fine, I promise!" Haruka said. "Is there a back entrance to this place?" Hotaru nodded at Haruka. "Good, get them out that way. It sounds like whatever is causing the ruckus is coming from the beach. We need to get people inland." Hotaru nodded dumbly again.

"Yeah, you're right…" she muttered. "Everyone, go through the kitchen! There's an exit back there! Get as inland as you can!" Hotaru turned back to tell Haruka the same thing, but the girl her sister had been speaking with was racing across the road, the tinkle of the bells on the door signaling her exit.

* * *

"**Cinder Impact!"**

The two orbs hit the Industrialite, but since Cinder was by herself, she wasn't going to be able to destroy the monster with just that. The Industrialite hovered above Cinder, letting out another shriek. Cinder clasped her hands over her ears, but it wasn't enough to keep her from writhing in pain. The red warrior fell to her knees; eyes squeezed shut and teeth grit.

"_Chrome. Stream. Orianna. I need you!"_ Cinder thought, hoping that somehow they would get her message. The siren stopped its shrieking to attack Cinder. It moved swiftly and fluidly, wrapping its pointed fingers around Cinder's body as if Cinder were a doll the siren was playing with.

"**Cinder Rocket!"** Cinder's body was swallowed by flames, which caught the Industrialite off guard, releasing the red warrior. Cinder took the opportunity to charge forward, head-butting the Industrialite square in the chest. Still unable to control herself, however, Cinder fell to the ground with the Industrialite, a cloud of sand covering the two.

The siren noticed that Cinder was slightly disoriented and swatted the Cure off of its chest.

"Ouch," Cinder groaned, taking some time to get back on her feet.

"Natsumi! Natsumi are you okay?" Haruka called. Cinder looked over to her right to see Haruka standing on the street above the beach.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine! I'm just waiting for the other three to get here!"

"How weak."

Cinder looked up to see a new woman, clad in orange and off-white standing in front of her. Her shoulder length hair looked greasy and unclean, but her bright orange eyes shined with malice.

"You were able to defeat an Industrialite by yourself before, Cure Cinder. And now you mean to tell me that you can't do it again? Pathetic." The woman spat out the last word before giving a condescending chuckle. "Finish her," she said.

"No!"

Haruka leaped over the railing and skidded down the side of the beach wall and ran out in front of Cinder, arms spread out.

"If you want to get to her, you'll have to go through me!"

"Ha! Hahaha! 'Go through you?' It's my understanding that you don't even know this girl! Why would you want to protect her?" Ophelia laughed. "You can't even transform, yet you want to protect her?"

Haruka caught her breath. How did she know that she couldn't transform? Was she the one that attacked the mall yesterday but was watching from a distance? Harkua shook her head.

"It doesn't matter if I can't transform. And it doesn't matter if I don't know her well! She showed me more friendship today than I've ever known. A girl like that deserves to have someone fight for her! A girl like that deserves to be protected." Haruka was staring fiercely at the woman before her. She couldn't let her words distract her. That's what this woman would want.

"And if I never become a Pretty Cure, that's fine! I'll still give Natsumi all the support she deserves! And we'll be friends because of it! We'll be a _team_ because of it!"

A bright burst of tealy-blue light flashed before Haruka's chest. The light concentrated into the form of a circle before solidifying into the compass Haruka had used the day before. The crack could still be seen on the surface, but it was glowing with the teal light. The light faded and with it, the crack. A small orb of the teal light popped out from the center of the compass before elongating and solidifying into the teal Spirit Needle.

"Haruka! Transform!" Cinder shouted.

"**Pretty Cure! Direction Change!" **Haruka placed the Spirit Needle on the center of the compass face before flicking it. **"East!"** After a few spins, the teal part of the needle landed on the blue E on the right side of the compass face.

Teal leaves and vines burst from the face as Haruka's clothes disappeared and she entered a teal colored world. Light and leaves collected around her chest before bursting into a light and dark strapped top, exposing her midriff. More leaves collected around her waist as she spun, and the light burst into a teal skirt. Thin, blue vines protruded from the top of the skirt, forming a ruffled, sky blue top layer to her skirt that didn't completely wrap all the way around her waist. Haruka brought her hands across her chest as leaves collected there as well. With a clap, the light burst off of her harms, revealing sky blue sleeves that reached from her wrist to mid bicep, with light teal ruffles on both ends of the sleeve. Light slid up her legs, forming thigh high socks. More vines wrapped around her feet before forming sky blue boots with teal, puffed ruffles around her ankles.

Haruka's pigtails became undone and her teal hair glowed with light as her hair shot outwards, resembling willow branches. The light burst off of her hair; revealing light teal, sleek hair. Her bangs were styled and swept up to the left side of her face. Light formed around her chest, tying itself before exploding into a sky blue bow with a dark teal center. Finally, a comet of teal light landed on her left hip, forming an orb the size of the compass. The light burst off of it, as a teal pouch with a light green willow branch on the top sat on her hip. Haruka spun around and struck a somewhat balletic pose.

"**The Elegant Eastern Dragon! Cure Willow!"**

"Wh-WHAT?" Ophelia said, staring wide-eyed at the newly transformed Cure. Willow had her eyes closed, but there was a power that was exuding from her. This is what it was like to be standing in front of a legendary warrior. And suddenly, Ophelia felt the same power coming from Cinder. "Industrialite, attack them!" She bellowed. The siren shot forward, its pointed fingers looking like claws.

Willow, with her eyes still closed, easily dodged the swipe. Her eyes flashed open and struck the Industrialite with an open palm, sending the monster flying into the beach wall. Willow, surprised, stared at her hands before finally giving herself a quick look over.

"Wow… This is… So crazy… How is any of this real?" She asked. Cinder placed her hand on Willow's shoulder. The red warrior was full of scrapes and scratches, but she had a wide smile on her face.

"It's real. And I can't believe you transformed!" She said, flinging her arms around Willow. "But there's no time for this! We've got to stop this Industrialite," Cinder let go of Willow, looking the girl in the eyes. "Think you can handle it?" Willow was quiet, but she nodded, a smile of her owns spreading.

"Let's do it."

And with that, the two girls charged for the Industrialite.

"**Cinder Heat Wave!"** Cure Cinder's body glowed with red light, wind gusting, whipping sand around her body. She thrust her hands in front of her, the super heated wind buffeting the Industrialite. The siren began to glow red as its body grew hotter, but with a shriek, it was able to stop Cinder's attack and head for the water.

"Oh, no you don't," Willow said. **"Willow Vines!" **Willow's hands glowed with teal light and placed them on the sand. Thin green vines burst from the sand and snaked towards the Industrialite, wrapping themselves around its legs, causing it to trip. Willow ran for the monster and jumped upward with her new strength. "Pretty Cure Kick!" she shouted as she shot downwards. Her heel connected with the back of the siren, causing the monster to let out an involuntary shriek.

"Don't just lie there on the ground doing nothing! Fight back!" Ophelia ordered, her orange eyes growing wilder and angrier by the second.

"Sorry, but we're taking the win today," Willow said. She back flipped off of the monster and stood firmly on the beach. With a swift movement, she grabbed her compass from the pouch on her hip. The compass face was glowing with Willow's signature teal light.

"**Pretty Cure! Willow Overgrowth!"**

Willow pointed her compass at the sand, washing the ground with light. A rumbling could be heard a moment later when suddenly, enormous green roots burst from the sand, wriggling towards the Industrialite. When the roots reached the monster, they dove underneath the sand before shooting upwards around the Industrialite, encasing the monster in a cocoon of roots. The roots glowed with teal light before exploding into light green colored smoke.

When the smoke cleared, the Industrialite was gone. Golden light from beneath the earth restored any damage done by the monster. Ophelia stood, glaring at the Cures, her rage seething from every pore on her body.

"This isn't over, Pretty Cure! The Machine Empire will win! And we'll make sure you witness the downfall of your precious Earth before we take you out ourselves!" Orange electricity cackled around Ophelia's body before she disappeared in a bolt of orange lightning.

"You did it!" Cinder shouted, clinging onto Willow once more.

"Cinder!" Three voices said in unison behind the two warriors. Cures Chrome and Stream were jumping down from the beach wall, Orianna stopping at the railing.

"Our compasses told us there was an Industrialite. Where is it?" Stream asked, searching the beach for any sign of disturbance.

"Wait… Are you…?" Chrome said, walking up to Cinder and Willow. "Are you Higashi-san?"

Even though Orianna was some yards behind them, her gasp was quite audible.

"I am," Willow answered. "I'm Cure Willow right now, though."

"You transformed?!" Orianna shouted incredulously. She ran over to some stairs that were a yard or two away from her and almost flew down them. "I have something I need to say!" She said, making her way to Willow. "Willow, I just need to say that I'm sorry for the way I acted yesterday."

"Don't worry, Orianna. I accept your apology. And I'm sorry I didn't realize how much this meant to you. I'm willing to be a team player from now on!"

* * *

Haruka rested in her bed, exhausted from what had happened. She still couldn't believe she had managed to transform into this magical warrior. And after she told Orianna she was going to be a full member of the team, she realized she had a decision to make.

She loved dancing. It was her heart and soul. But… She couldn't stay at her mother's school. Not any more. She got up and left her room, heading to her mother in their living room. She reached the last step of the stairs that faced the foyer and the front door. She could feel how nervous she was. She took a deep breath before stepping down and turning to her right to enter the living room. Like she guessed, her mother and father were sitting on the couch.

"Mom…" she said, her nerves settling a little, but not quite.

"Yeah, honey?" Her mother said, turning to face her daughter. Haruka walked over and sat next to her on the couch. She clenched the hem of her nightshirt.

"I need to tell you something, and please don't me mad at me for it."

Haruka's mother grabbed the remote and muted the television. Both of her parents' eyes were on her.

"Haruka, what's wrong?"

"I was talking to dad about this, this morning. But I need to tell you," Haruka paused, taking another breath. "But I was really feeling badly this morning because I felt lonely. I kind of realized that I've never really had a true friend."

"Oh? But what about Rumi and Ayako? They've been your friends since you were seven," she said.

"Yeah, well, 'friends' isn't something I'd call them exactly. But that's not the point. Today I realized what it meant to have a true friend and… I want to spend time with them."

"Okay… Where are you going with this, sweetie?"

"I'm saying I want to transfer to Shizenshima Central High School."

"Oh," said Haruka's father. Her mother was silent for a few moments, processing what her daughter had told her.

"But I thought you loved dance," was her reply.

"Mom, I do… And I'll dance as an after school activity, but… Shizenshima Central is where those true friends are. And I want to be with them. Seeing them afterschool wouldn't cut it. Please, mom," Haruka said.

Her mother was silent for a few moments more. She sighed before speaking again.

"Haruka, I know I don't say it often, and I know I don't show it often, but I do love you. You're my only child and I want all the happiness in the world for you. And if these new friends you met make you happy, then I'll start the work tomorrow to get you into Shizenshima Central."

Haruka felt her heart soar high. It worked! Her mother said yes!

"Mom! Thank you so much! I love you." Haruka said, hugging her mother tightly.

* * *

Preview:

Aki: The team's finally assembled!

Haruka: I'm so happy to fight along side with you guys!

Natsumi: It's gonna be great! We're gonna beat the Machine Empire and save the Valley of Gold!

Fuyuko: But wait, we still need a leader!

Aki, Fuyuko &amp; Haruka: Nastumi….?

Natsumi: …

Next time on _Compass Pretty Cure!_: "Smiling Bird: Natsumi's Dilemma! We Need a Leader!"


	8. Natsumi's Dilemma! We Need a Leader!

_Ten-year-old Natsumi sat eagerly at her desk, listening intently at what her teacher was saying, fingers clenching the bottom of her seat in excitement._

"_Today's project is a scavenger hunt, which means it's a lesson that involves working as a team! I'll put the class into teams of four, and each of you will have to follow both the instructions provided for you, but also the leader of your team."_

_Excited chatter burst from the children as they heard the word "leader." Natsumi's eyes widened in excitement, imagining her and three other students roaming the school in search of some kind of "treasure." She knew right then that she wanted to be the leader of whatever group Ms Yamaguchi put her in. Right away, Ms. Yamaguchi started saying names to put students into their groups._

"_Natsumi, Ryuo, Kent and Jyou. You four will be Group Leaf. Stand over in the corner by the windows."_

_Natsumi shot out of her seat, walking briskly to the corner. She didn't mind that she was the only girl in the group. She stood, bouncing on the balls of her feet as her three group members made their way to the window._

* * *

The lunch bell rang and with it eager students shot out of their seats to make their way to the cafeteria, put their desks in small huddles or eat their lunches. Natsumi, Fuyuko, Aki, Orianna and Haruka all decided to make their way out to the small sitting area in the school's courtyard.

"You took your entrance exam after only a week of studying?" Fuyuko asked Haruka, who had stated so in her self-introduction that very morning.

"Honestly, I just barely made what the school was asking. My mom said she could fill out the paperwork quickly, but I needed a test score," Haruka said, brushing the comment off. "I got into the school regardless. And now I get to spend time with you four!"

All five girls were happy that Haruka had managed to get into Shizenshima Central with little problems.

"We need to discuss something of a private matter," Orianna said, changing the subject with little segue. "We need to discuss the leader status of Pretty Cure."

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure – Episode 8: Smiling Bird: Natsumi's Dilemma! We Need a Leader!_

* * *

"Do we really need to discuss that now?" Natsumi asked, looking down, only poking her rice and other assorted food in her bento box.

"Well, we don't really have much time outside of school to discuss it, what with clubs and what not," Haruka said.

"Exactly," Orianna said, a bit of pride in her voice. Even with their rough beginning, Haruka and Orianna realized they had quite a bit in common.

"Do we really even need a leader?" Natsumi said, making it clear she did not want to discuss the matter.

"I guess you don't, but usually, in a situation like this, it helps to have someone to be the problem solver amongst the group. Someone everyone knows can help them and give them support when needed," Orianna said.

Natsumi looked up to the four other girls looking directly at her.

"Wh… Why are you all looking at me like that?" She asked suspiciously.

"Natsumi," Fuyuko said, a full lecture hiding behind the name.

"No… You… You don't want me as the leader," Natsumi said. "That will just leave everyone… No. I won't do it." Natsumi took a few hurried bites of food before snapping her box back together and hastily tying the fabric over it. "I'll see you four back in the classroom."

* * *

"_Hi guys!" Natsumi said, still bouncing on the balls of her feet. The three boys murmured their hellos back to Natsumi. If they weren't crazy about having a girl on their team, Natsumi didn't pick up on it. She stopped her slight bouncing as Ms. Yamaguchi spoke up._

"_Okay, now that the class is split up, you need to decide on who your leader is going to be. Once you've done that, the leader will come up to me and get your instructions and your clues for the scavenger hunt."_

_Classroom chatter broke out once more, this time a little more rowdy than before._

"_I don't really care who the leader is as long as it's not me," Jyou said._

"_Yeah, me too." Ryou echoed._

"_Well I want to be leader!" Natsumi and Kenta said in unison._

"_Well now you gotta play _jan-ken-pon_ to decide who the leader is!" Jyou said._

* * *

The four generals stood around Queen Platania's pillar, each of them facing one of the four faces of the mysterious leader.

"It's time we discussed the bigger picture," Queen Platania said. The generals said nothing, but they were listening, though it wasn't like they could tell if the Queen wanted them to say something in return, what with her monotone and robotic voice.

"For centuries I've been after someone called The Golden One. That is our main objective here."

"But I thought that we were only needing to take over the Valley. And make sure that the princess was in our possession," Ophelia said. "We've done one of those two things."

"True," Platania agreed. "It was imperative that we gained control of the Valley and it is true that we need the princess in our possession. But the construction comes first. Which is why I haven't punished you four for being less than competent in your procuring of the princess.

"Once the construction is finished, we can set our sights on the princess. With her on our side, we can make sure the Four Guardians reveal the location of the Golden One, as he is the only being in existence that they answer to."

"We've never heard anything about this… Golden One of which you speak," Blanc said.

"He sounds powerful though, if the Guardians only take orders from him," Noire said.

"The information I'm telling you is on a 'Need-to-know' basis. I will tell you more about him in time. Jonah," Platania said, making sure that no one got a word of objection in. "I require a status update."

"There are still people we need to round up on the ground. Most of them have either headed for another Kingdom or gone underground. And unfortunately, we're still months away from finishing construction. But anything… natural," Jonah said the word with a combination of confusion and disgust. "Has been eliminated and we've broken ground in the places you've designated as the most important. Some places even have groundwork started, as well. The ceiling was finished weeks ago, which was the biggest piece we needed to complete."

"Good."

"There is… one thing, however," Jonah said, their voice becoming uncertain. "There's a temple. I'm assuming it's dedicated to the Guardians. Every time we've tried to demolish it, a… force field protects it."

Hushed whispering could be heard throughout the control room, though none of it was coming from the generals, who were the only ones present. The whispering while quiet, was fast and harsh, clearly angry.

"Pay it no mind for the time being," Platania said finally. "I'll make sure that it gets taken care of."

* * *

"What could she possibly mean you three wouldn't want her as your leader?!" Orianna huffed as the girls walked leisurely back to the classroom, empty bento boxes in hand.

"She didn't really give us a reason," Haruka said.

"It sounded like she was about to give us one, but she decided not to," Aki added.

"I think we just need to give her some time. If she really doesn't want to be the leader, I could try doing it again," Fuyuko said. "I don't have much confidence after I failed to successfully recruit Haruka, but…" Fuyuko's voice trailed off. Deep down she knew she didn't want to be the leader.

The pressure Aki and Natsumi had put on her was quite stressful. Maybe that's why Natsumi didn't want to lead.

"Well, we all know I can't. I couldn't even transform on the firs try," Haruka said.

"Like I was saying," Fuyuko said. "We just need to give Natsumi some time. While I do think she's the best fit for the leader, we can't force her to do something she doesn't want to."

"I just wish that she'd be more open to the idea. She'd be a really good leader," Aki said, munching on her last pocky stick. The girls didn't say much else after that. They finished their walk to the classroom with little conversation, making Natsumi's absence pronounced.

* * *

"_Yes!" Natsumi cheered, thrusting her winning "scissors" in the air. "I'm the leader of the group!"_

"_I didn't really want to be the leader anyway," Kenta said, pouting. "Go get the first clue from Mrs. Yamaguchi."_

_The leaders had all been determined and they all made their way up to Ms. Yamaguchi. She made it clear that some groups might have a different set of clues to work with, but they all should have the same ending spot._

_The clues she gave were a good mix of easy to understand, but still complex enough to make sure the kids were really thinking hard about where to find their next clue. Each group had to find four clues before moving on to the last round of the scavenger hunt._

_It was also made clear that the whole school was involved in the scavenger hunt, so they wouldn't be investigating the school without the watchful eye of a teacher. And with that, the hunt was on._

* * *

The school day passed with little disruption, like most days.

"Today everyone has something to do after school, right?" Natsumi asked, now her usual chipper self.

"Yeah, the Art Club is getting results back from our contest! I think some of us got some high marks," Aki said.

"Sweets Club is trying some experimental recipes today!" Fuyuko said excitedly.

"Mom's got a car already waiting for me to take me to the dance school," Haruka said.

"So we'll all talk later then?" Natsumi asked. The girls answered in unison and once they exited the classroom, they all went their separate ways. That is, until Haruka, Fuyuko, Orianna and Aki all walked back to the classroom door once they knew Natsumi was out of earshot.

"Someone's got to talk to her about being the leader," Orianna said. "She has to see that she's the leader."

"Well, again," Fuyuko said. "While I agree, I still don't think we should force Natsumi into doing something she doesn't want to do."

"Haruka!" Orianna said, ignoring Fuyuko. "You're honest. You're sometimes blunt. Maybe you can talk her into being the leader."

"What?" Haruka said, scrunching her face in confusion. "I will not do that. I may be friends with you all, but keep in mind I did just meet all of you a week and a half ago. I don't want to jeopardize anything. Besides, Fuyuko's right. We can't force her to do this if she doesn't want to."

"But Pretty Cure needs a leader! Teamwork may play a super important role, but every team needs a leader!" Orianna said, sticking her bottom lip out in a pout. "I guess I'll have to talk to her then."

"Do what you want then," Haruka said. "But whatever happens will be on you. I'll see you gals later. My mom really did send a car to take me to my dance practice."

* * *

It was decided that Jonah was to try and get a toehold on the Human World after their meeting with Queen Platania. Which was good. Jonah was getting bored with the reconstruction of the valley. They wanted to get out and wreck some havoc on that disgusting island.

* * *

"_It's the final clue!" Natsumi said, taking a strip of folded paper out of a small pink bucket that was situated in the sandbox of the playground._

"_Read what it says!" Kenta said._

"_Give me a second!" Natsumi said, unfolding the paper. "Okay, here's the final clue! 'What's big, blue, and can be found on floor two?'"_

"_What's big, blue and can be found on floor two?" The three other boys repeated. Natsumi, having gotten every clue correctly thus far – with some help from her group mates of course – had grown confident in her scavenging skills. She knew exactly what was big, blue and could be found on the second floor._

"_Well obviously it's the painting of the whale!" She said._

"_What? No! The painting of the mountain is way bigger than the whale! That's what the clue is talking about!" Kenta protested._

"_Well they both are pretty big," Jyou muttered._

"_But I think Kenta's right," Ryou said. "The mountain is bigger."_

_Natsumi hadn't been used to her group mates disagreeing with her choices. She folded her arms across her chest and huffed._

"_Well I'm the leader! And I say that the big blue whale is the answer to the clue!"_

"_We should hurry then if we want to get one of the big prizes!" Jyou said._

_The foursome raced off to the second floor, following Natsumi as she made a beeline to the whale painting. But when they got to the whale, there wasn't a bucket full of strips of paper._

"_I told you it was the mountain!" Kenta said._

"_I- I'm sorry!" Natsumi said, looking down at her feet. "I really thought it would bee the whale."_

"_Whatever! Let's just go to the mountain!" Ryou said._

_By the time the group made it to the mountain – which was on the opposite side of the whale on the floor – there were only a few strips of paper left. They read the last clue and realized the final point of the scavenger hunt was the school gym. The ten-year-olds scurried their way to the gym. But by the time they got there, they quickly realized they were the last group to do so._

"_Looks like everyone is here now!" Ms. Yamaguchi said. "Unfortunately the big prizes were given out, but everyone at least got a sticker and a piece of candy for participating!"_

_The group was given their small prize and the boys all looked at Natsumi._

"_If you were a better leader, we could have gotten the big candy bar as our prize!" Kenta said, pointing at the two groups that got rather sizable candy bars as their prize. "I knew I should have been the leader."_

_Natsumi felt her face flush, hot tears welling up in her eyes._

"_I… I'm sorry. You're right. I probably shouldn't have been the leader," she said._

* * *

"Oi! Natsumi!" Orianna said, snapping her fingers in front of Natsumi's face.

"Orianna!" Natsumi said, shaking her head as she came back to reality. "Sorry, I was just lost in thought. Why aren't you at home?"

"What do you mean? I always wait for you to get done with practice. I know you always tell me I don't have to, but I like walking home with you. What's on your mind?"

"Oh…. Not much," Natsumi said, staring at the water slowly rippling in the pool. Practice had been over for about ten minutes and Natsumi was still in her bathing suit, wrapped in her towel sitting on the bleachers in the natatorium. "I'm just… Thinking about the leader stuff."

"I've meant to ask you since lunch," Orianna said. "Why is it you think you'll be a bad leader? Why wouldn't the other three not want you as a leader?"

Natsumi chewed her lip, not wanting to answer Orianna's question. She knew why. She didn't want everyone to hate her or be disappointed in her when she made a wrong call. She also felt silly for letting something that happened six years ago – especially something not that serious – affect her so.

"I just don't think I'd be good at it is all," Natsumi lied.

"Natsumi," Orianna said. "We've been living together for almost two months now. I know when you're lying. And I hate it when you do. Don't lie to me," Orianna said, gently nudging her elbow into Natsumi's side.

"I just don't think I'd be good," Natsumi repeated. She heard Orianna sigh.

"Why don't you think you can tell me?" The princess asked. "You know I won't stop asking you until you tell me, right? Come on, tell me. I'm your best friend, Natsumi! There's not a single thing in the world you hide from me. You know you want to tell m-"

"Okay! Okay!" Natsumi said. "I'll tell you. I don't think I'd make a good leader because I know I don't make a good leader. When I was ten, I was in this silly scavenger hunt. I didn't get one of the answers to one of the riddles right, and it made us the last group to make it to the final gathering place. My group members were so mad at me. They said I should have been a better leader. And while I know it was just a silly elementary school scavenger hunt, but ever since then I've just felt it easier to support rather than lead."

"But that was years ago!" Orianna said. Natsumi kept her eyes forward. "But it bothered you that much, huh?" The princess said.

"It's not a fun experience being told you're not good at something," Natsumi said, turning to face Orianna. "It shakes your confidence. Makes you feel like almost never trying again."

"Those kids were mean to you," Orianna said, grabbing Natsumi's hand. "But I think you owe it to yourself to prove them wrong." She squeezed Natsumi's hand before standing up to leave. "I'll see you at home?"

"Yeah… I'll get up and change now. Get home safe, okay?"

Once Orianna left the natatorium, Natsumi showered quickly and threw her clothes back on. When she exited the showers, she saw her four friends sitting on the bleachers.

"I thought you were going home?" Natsumi asked.

"Well I was, but these three were waiting outside the natatorium. I guess they all wanted to give you a pep talk, too!" Orianna said.

"Well those pep talks will need to wait," Jonah said from above. They were sitting on one of the high, steel beams that lined the ceiling.

"Jonah!" Natsumi cried.

"Industrialite," Jonah said, pointing their gun at a large fan in the corner of the facility. "Enemy of Nature! Take your form!"

Jonah pulled the trigger, and like before, the bullet didn't fire out right away. Instead a huge purple-black orb, with glowing purple eyes and purple electricity dancing around it formed at the opening of the barrel. A second later, it made contact with the fan and within seconds, the fan transformed into a large Industrialite. It had two glowing eyes at the top of the drum and had two arms and two legs protruding from their respective areas. The metal was black, and the fan had two purple blades and two red blades.

"Attack them!"

"Girls!" Natsumi said. The four of them all brought out their PreCompasses, ready to fight.

"**Pretty Cure! Direction Change!"**

"**The Fiery Southern Bird! Cure Cinder!"**

"**The Steely Western Tiger! Cure Chrome!"**

"**The Calm Northern Tortoise! Cure Stream!"**

"**The Elegant Eastern Dragon! Cure Willow!"**

"**Leading hearts on the path of justice! Compass Pretty Cure!"**

"Let's see how you all fare now that you're all together. Industrialite! Destroy!" Jonah ordered.

The Industrialite stood where it was, but the blades inside of its body began to spin with unnatural speed. Soon, a horizontal tornado was churning in front of the monster. The supernatural powers of the monster caused electricity to crackle and dance around the tornado.

Pretty Cure all jumped out of the way of the tornado, but the wind was strong. The four warriors were all blown backwards the second they were in the air. Instantly, Cinder knew what needed to be done.

"We need to stop those blades from working!"

"Are you sure? What about attacking it from behind or the sides? The blades only send wind one way!" Willow shouted over the roar of the wind. Cinder bit her lip. The Industrialite bellowed, sending another horizontal twister in the girls' direction.

"Split up!" Cinder shouted. Cinder, Chrome and Willow all darted in different directions while Stream stood her ground.

"**Pretty Cure! Stream Wall!"**

The water from the pool burst upwards, giving Stream some protection, as well as the building itself, from the powerful winds.

"I think Cinder's right!" Stream shouted. "Stopping the blades is going to be smarter than just attacking it aimlessly!"

"Can't seem to make up your minds?" Jonah taunted from the rafters. "Not a very unified team, if you ask me."

It was true; each Cure seemed to be doing her own thing while fighting the Industrialite, independent of what the other three were doing. Stream was deflecting as many tornados as she could while Willow and Chrome could only dodge them, unable to get close to the monster. Cinder helped defend the building from further destruction close by Stream.

"This isn't working!" Willow cried, charging at the monster, her fist clenched as she tried to land a hit on it.

"Like I said!" Cinder shouted. "Once you get rid of the blades, it won't have anything to whip up the wind! Willow, if you could just use your vines to try and grab ahold of it, maybe we could do something." Cinder's flaming fists deflected another mini tornado and a slow moving bolt of electricity.

"Are you sure that's going to work?" Willow asked, doing some backflips to avoid getting hit by similar attacks.

"It's the only plan we have at the moment, so just do it!" Chrome said.

"Okay, here goes nothing," Willow said, getting to a safe space. She only had a few moments before another tornado was sent her way. **"Willow Vines!"** She shouted, her hands glowing with teal light. Thin, green, snake like vines burst from her palms as she thrust her hands out in front of her. A tornado launched from the Industrialite (away from Willow, fortunately) and the vines wriggled their way through the thin prongs of the blade protector. They grabbed on to each of the four blades as well as the center of the fan to stop them from moving. Willow quickly grabbed hold of her vines.

"Blades are stabilized!"

"Chrome! Hit it with an Iron Fist! We need to weaken it!"

Chrome clenched her right fist tight, white light shining from within.

"**Chrome Iron Fist!"** The white Cure shouted, making a mad dash to the monster. Her fist connected with the side of the fan and instantly it crumpled, making it into a wonky crescent shape.

Despite the fact that their monster wasn't doing well, Jonah couldn't help but watch in spiteful curiosity at how well the four girls had managed to go from running around and doing their own thing to acting as a well oiled machine.

"Time to finish it off," Cinder said, her confidence growing after the other two followed her suggestions. So this is how it felt to be a leader.

"**Pretty Cure!" **Cinder shouted, readying her compass. **"Cinder Flame!"** Vermillion flames burst from the compass face and engulfed the Industrialite. After a few seconds, red light flashed from the spiraling fires and the fan monster exploded.

After the smoke cleared, golden light from within the earth restored any damage done by the Industrialite and Jonah disappeared before the girls could notice.

* * *

"Natsumi!" Fuyuko said, embracing the girl in a tight hug. "I knew you were the right choice for the leader!"

"For a girl that was so adamant about not being the leader, you did a pretty good job at it," Haruka said.

"I just… Didn't know I had it in me, I guess," Natsumi said, her cheeks matching her hair color.

"You did amazing!" Orianna said. "I watched the whole thing! The way you commanded Aki and Haruka! Aaahhh, Natsumi," Orianna said, giving the newly appointed Pretty Cure leader a hug of her own, Haruka and Aki muttering about Orianna's word choice. "We're all so proud of you!"

Natsumi's cheeks deepened to a beet red, but… she couldn't help but smile. Having people believe in her this much… It was inspiring.

* * *

_Natsumi stared down at her participation sticker. Her group mates were none too happy with her. They munched on their piece of candy, ignoring Natsumi._

"_So you got a sticker too, huh?" A girl asked. Natsumi quickly wiped her eyes before looking up. A girl with dark, rich, brown skin with matching rich brown eyes was smiling at her. Her butter yellow blonde hair was tied into two, low pigtails that just barely reached her shoulders._

"_Yeah… We were the last team to get here," Natsumi said, giving a small sniffle._

"_My team got here just before yours did then! When we got here, they said one more team had to finish."_

"_I was the leader," Natsumi said._

"_I was, too!"_

_The weird thing about it was that this girl didn't seem at all sad they had finished so late. She was… happy about it._

"_We went to the whale on the second floor because we thought that was the big blue thing," the girl said. Natsumi's jaw dropped._

"_We went to the whale, too!" Natsumi said, her tears and sniffles gone._

"_Crazy! I thought it was the right answer, too. But when we didn't see the bucket, we remembered the mountain!"_

"_My team always thought it was the mountain… Everyone but me, that is," Natsumi said. "And then we finished last and now everyone's mad at me…"_

"_Well they're being stinkers if they're mad at you! This was all about having fun!" The girl said, punctuating her statement with a fist in the air. Natsumi stared at the fist, how it seemed so triumphant, even if the only prize was a sticker. She looked down at her own sticker, thinking… She really did have a lot of fun, even if they did finish last._

"_Hey, we have the same sticker!" The girl said, looking at Natsumi's sticker. It was an iris flower with three petals opening downward, and three petals sticking upwards. It was simple in color, just purple on the outside of the petals and yellow towards the center._

"_And I just realized this sticker is my name! I'm Ayame! Let's be friends. What's your name?"_

"_I'm Natsumi."_

* * *

A girl, about fifteen, ran through the cold, metal alleyway. She hadn't seen the sun in well over a month. Daytime was considered when the artificial lights shone the most on the ceiling in the sky. Right now, however, they were all off or very dim, meaning it was nighttime. She had returned to the Valley from a mission project just as the Machine Empire attacked. She could see her Temple looming over the modern construction. Her heart ached to return to it.

Her beige robes were tattered and grimy with dirt that originated from the now suffocating ground under the metal beneath her feet. Her once pristine brown hair was now disheveled and oily. Grime, dirt and ash were smeared all over her dark skin. She had to find a safe place. She didn't know what was happening to the people that were being taken, but she had no interest in being a prisoner.

She heard the monotonous beat of marching feet. She had to hide somewhere. But the alley she was currently hiding in only lead to a darker part of the city. She couldn't be sure that it wouldn't lead to a dead end. But even if it did… at least she could count on the darkness to hide her. Just then, a small speck of gold light could be seen, just on the edge of the girl's vision.

"Inori…" a voice said. It was warm and stern. But most importantly, it sounded friendly and familiar. Like a voice she hadn't heard in years. The marching was so close that Inori was sure the foot soldiers would find her if she didn't try and hide soon. She turned back to the dark side of the alley. The light was still dancing on the edge of her vision. "Inori…" the voice sounded again. "Run."

So Inori ran.

* * *

Preview:

Orianna: Hey, Natsumi, do you want to help me with my homework after school?  
Natsumi: Sorry, I have to go to swim practice!  
Orianna: Oh, okay. Oh, Aki! Let me show you this doodle from class today!  
Aki: No can do, I've gotta get some drawing done myself.  
Orianna: Oh… Oh! Haruka! Let's go shopping after school!  
Haruka: Can't. Dance practice.  
Orianna: Fuyuko can you-  
Fuyuko: Sorry! I'm on supplies duty today! Gotta go to the store asap!  
Orianna: Oh come on!

Next time on _Compass Pretty Cure!_: "Golden Flower: Orianna's Club Search!"


	9. Golden Flower: Orianna's Club Search!

A multicolored pen was being scribbled furiously on a thick piece of sketch paper. The artist was bent low over her drawing as she sat alone in her clubroom, over an hour before the first bell of the day. Abruptly, she stopped her drawing and held it out in front of her. She brushed her multicolored bangs out of her face, admiring her work.

"Perfectly perfect!" She said proudly, shooting right up out of her chair. "Now to make copies! This poster will make people want to join the fashion club, I just know it will!" She said, spinning on her heel and racing out of the room.

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure – Episode 9: Golden Flower: Orianna's Club Search!_

* * *

"Hey, Orianna," Natsumi said, standing up after the final bell rang. "Are you going to be okay going home by yourself today? It's going to be a long practice this afternoon and I don't want you to wait that long."

"Oh… I was hoping to get some help from you on homework… but yeah. I'll be fine going home by myself," Orianna said, standing up as well. She turned to her other friends behind her. "Do any of you have club stuff to do this afternoon?" she asked.

"I've got to head out to my car, like, now," Haruka said. In a swish of teal hair, Haruka was walking briskly out of the room.

"It's a concept day for Art Club, and everyone does their best work in the art room," Aki said. "So it's going to be a long afternoon for me, too."

"Oh…" Orianna said, she turned to Fuyuko but the look on the other girl's face stopped Orianna from even asking.

"Sorry, Orianna," Fuyuko said, rubbing the back of her head. "Part of my job today for Sweets Club is going on a supplies run."

"Oh! I can help you with that! We can shop after!" Orianna said excitedly. But Fuyuko's sad smile didn't disappear.

"It's going to be an 'in-n-out' kind of job. Go to the store, grab what we need, and then head back to campus," Fuyuko explained.

"Oh…" Orianna said. She grabbed her bag dejectedly. Looks like it's gonna be another afternoon of helping Hotaru out around the café, she thought. Not that she minded doing so. Hotaru had become a kind of foster mother for Orianna, just as she had to for Natsumi. She liked helping Hotaru, but she liked hanging out with her friends more.

"I'll just see you all tomorrow, then. And I'll see you at home," Orianna said to Natsumi. The girls all said their goodbyes and Orianna walked the halls alone as Aki, Natsumi and Fuyuko all headed in other directions.

The princess walked with her head down, eyes locked on with her feet. She could hear a few students whispering as she did so.

"Beaumont-san just goes home after school?" A student whispered.

"She's part of the Go Home Club, I guess," another student answered.

The way she said "Go Home Club" had hints of disgust, disappointment and maybe even pity. The "Go Home Club?" That was the first time Orianna had heard of such a club. She twisted the fake leather of her bag handle, which she held in front of her. Feeling even more upset than she already was, Orianna hurried out of the school and hopped on the first train back to the Southern Prefecture.

* * *

"What's the 'Go Home Club'?" Orianna asked Hotaru as she wiped a table clean of nonexistent crumbs. "Is it a bad thing?"

It wasn't too busy in the café. Monday afternoons were usually the slowest time of the week, so Orianna figured she could get some conversation out of Hotaru, like she normally did. Hotaru stood upright, having been cleaning a table of her own.

"The 'Go Home Club', huh? Haven't heard that in a while," Hotaru said, nostalgia brimming in her words. "Nah, I wouldn't say it's a bad thing. Lots of parents want their kids to be in after school clubs. It helps their applications look good when it comes to higher education. But being in the 'Go Home Club' isn't necessarily a bad thing," Hotaru explained.

"Well this girl at school sure made it sound like going home instead to a club activity was a bad thing," Orianna said, pouting. She stuffed her rag in the pocket of her apron and sat down at the table she was wiping.

"Some parents put too much stock into afterschool clubs. My mom was one of them, actually," Hotaru said, taking the seat next to Orianna. "She would always say 'You better make sure I don't see you home right after class! No child of mine is going to be in the go home club!' She was kind of crazy that way," Hotaru said. "Parents just want what's best for their kids, and most parents think that getting a higher education application filled out with the base requirements and then some is what's best for their kids."

Orianna was quiet for a moment. "So… I shouldn't feel bad about being in the Go Home Club?"

"No! Of course not! But at the same time, if you don't want to be in the Go Home Club, by all means, find a club that you want to join, Orianna!"

"It just gets boring going home right after school or waiting for Natsumi to wrap up swim practices. I guess it would be nice to have a club to go to of my own," Orianna said, tilting her head upwards. The fans were stylized to have big, leaf shaped blades. They spun around lazily. In those spinning blades Orianna pondered what to do about her predicament.

"I think, tomorrow, I'll go looking for a club then!"

* * *

"Another failed mission," Platania said. "As I said before, you're lucky I'm more concerned with the valley being reconstructed than having the princess in our clutches." Over time, the mysterious queen was gaining some control over her voice. No longer did it sound monotonous and robotic. It began to sound malicious and annoyed. "That said, she is still extremely vital to my plan. My patience is beginning to wear thin."

"Pretty Cure keep her under a tight protection detail," Jonah said. They were the only one that dared to speak. The other three Generals kept their lips tightly shut. No one was quite sure of what the queen was capable of, and it was quite clear that she wasn't happy with the progress being made with regards to the princess.

"Our foot soldiers have reported that all the denizens of the old kingdom have been rounded up and placed in various holding cells," Blanc reported. It was clear he had every intention of getting away from the topic of Pretty Cure and the princess. His one attempt had left him feeling more shame than he cared to admit.

"You're positive?" Platania asked.

"Yes, your Majesty," he said.

"I shall take your word for it then. It's time now we move on to more pressing matters," Platania said. "I think it's time I made my presence known to Pretty Cure. Their foolish actions will cease when they witness what _I'm_ capable of. Blanc," Blanc caught is breath at the mention of his name. "I'll need you and Ophelia to help me organize an attack on Earth. Jonah, you will continue to monitor the construction and Noire, you will try and get the princess away from Pretty Cure."

And with that, the glowing eyes on Platania's pillar faded, signaling the end of the meeting. Jonah disappeared in a murky green gust of wind and Noire vanished in a puff of black smoke. Blanc and Ophelia walked back to the other side of the Control Room to brainstorm before meeting with the Queen again.

* * *

"Please join the Fashion Club!"

The girl with blue and pink streaks in her otherwise brown hair thrust fliers out to the students walking into the courtyard of the school.

"We'll be putting on a Fashion Show at the Cultural Festival later in the year! If you'd like to see that, tell your friends about us! Or if you want to create the clothes for the show, then please join!"

Students continued to walk past the girl, either taking a flier out of pity or ignoring her altogether. Chiharu clenched her thick stack of fliers, frustration building inside of her. She had worked so hard on these fliers and they were only ending up in garbage cans so far. She tried this for a few more minutes before finally resigning herself to giving up.

"Maybe they just need to wake up more," she said hopefully. "Maybe in the afternoon they'll be more responsive." Chiharu sighed, flipping her multicolored hair over her shoulder and walking towards the front doors.

Orianna and Natsumi rounded the corner, partaking in some small talk.

"…And then Yurina-senpai finally let us go. Man, we better place high at this preliminary meet this weekend after all she's put us through! And we'll totally be ready for the summer, if she keeps this up."

"Sounds like you guys are working hard then!" Orianna said. "By the way, how does one find out which clubs are still taking members?"

"Clubs are always accepting members! At least the swim team is, since our active season isn't really for another three weeks."

"Hmm…" Orianna said.

"Are you thinking of joining a club?"

"Yeah. I was talking to Hotaru about it yesterday. I get bored either waiting for you or the other three to finish practice or come home before we do anything. So I figured I might as well join a club to pass the time!"

"That's awesome! Do you already have a club in mind?"

"Uuuh… Is there a princess club? Like can I meet with other princesses and discuss princess-ly duties?" Orianna asked, the look on her face telling Natsumi that she was not kidding in the least.

"N-no… No Princess Club," she said. "Lets take a look at the club board at lunch, okay? You'll be able to see all the clubs that the school has to offer there!"

"What kind of school doesn't have a club for royalty?" Orianna mumbled as the girls walked into the school.

* * *

Orianna stared at the board plastered with posters. Almost all of them were overlapping one another so it was hard to see the entire poster.

"JOIN THE THEATRE CLUB TODAY!" one read in big, loopy letters. "Soccer Club Meets Every Afternoon" was written in a simple, black and white format. "Concert Band Club – Practice Makes Perfect! It's never to late to join!" another read with big, dramatic letters.

Tapping her chin with her finger, Orianna squinted as she scanned the myriad of posters.

"See any you like?" Natsumi asked. The two had finished their lunches quickly to make sure that they had plenty of time to inspect the board.

"They're just all so overlapping it's hard to see a poster for what it is," Orianna said, removing a tack from one poster to lift it up so she could see the poster underneath. "Hmm… None of these stand out to me… Maybe wanting to find a club wasn't such a great idea after all," Orianna said, sticking her bottom lip out in her signature pout.

"No! Don't say that," Natsumi said, patting Orianna on the back. "It takes some time for people to really find a club that sticks. And sometimes there are clubs that aren't up here yet because they aren't clubs yet."

"They aren't clubs yet?" Orianna asked.

"Well yeah," Natsumi said. "Clubs need at least four people to be considered and actual club with the school. There's paperwork that the club president fills out and they hand it off to the Student Council President to get approval. So there could be some clubs on campus that have three people, and are waiting for their final member!"

"Oh… Well how do I find out about those clubs?" Orianna asked.

"Most likely you'll just have to ask around. Since no one can put a club poster on the poster board until it's an official, recognized club, people rely on word of mouth or passing out fliers themselves to recruit members."

"Well asking around shouldn't be too hard," Orianna said, turning around to eye potential questioning suspects in the hall. Instantly, someone caught her eye. It was either the swishing of the lengthy hair or just the vibrant shades of blue and pink that streaked her hair that caught Orianna's eye.

"You!" She exclaimed, rushing up to the girl. "I have a question to ask you."

"Okay…" The girl said, startled at Orianna's sudden outburst. "Ask away."

"Do you know of any clubs that need a last member to be official?"

Instantly the girl's face went from disinterest to overwhelming excitement in less than a second.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! This is perfectly perfect! I'm the president of the Fashion Club! We need a fourth member to be official! But I need to ask: would you be willing to design clothes?"

"Are you kidding? I design all my clothes back home!" Orianna said, her eyes shining just as much as the Fashion Club president's before her.

"Oh my gosh! Yay! Okay, second question," she said, getting slightly serious. "Do you like to model your clothing?"

Orianna practically had stars shining in her eyes at the girl's question.

"Of course I do!" She said, grabbing the president's hands.

The president brought their entwined hands up in front of their faces.

"Oh my gosh! I had almost given up on finding a final member. You'll do perfectly perfect and I need to see your designs immediately."

"Well… My designs are back home… sadly. But I can show you some of my doodles, for sure!" Orianna said.

"I'm Kagome Chiharu, by the way! Welcome to the club."

"Orianna Beaumont. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ooooooh my gosh! We got the mysterious transfer student on our club! We'll become so popular people will be dying to see our fashion show. Everything is just so perfectly perfect!"

* * *

Orianna opened the door to the classroom Chiharu had told her to go to. Since the club still wasn't official, they didn't have a designated classroom yet. But Chiharu had told her that she and the other two Fashion Club members always met in this room, and they had a key because Chiharu's mother worked at the school and just so happened to be the faculty adviser. Orianna could feel her heart beat faster as she walked into the room. It was like the first day of school for her all over again.

The other two members of the club were seated at two desks near the window, opposite of the door. A girl with short, bobbed brown hair was talking emphatically to a boy with dark, slicked back, navy hair that was listening intently to the girl.

"Hello!" Orianna said, despite her butterflies. She had never had a problem with introducing herself back home, even if she was nervous. It was a trait she was glad to have.

"Oh hi!" The girl said, breaking her conversation with the boy. "You must be the new member! I'm Fukui Misato and this is Midorikawa Kaito."

"It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Orianna Beaumont," Orianna said, giving a small bow to the other two members.

"Chiharu wouldn't shut up about you after lunch. She was so excited to finally have a fourth member so we could make this club official," Kaito said.

"I'm glad and excited that I could be the member that made this official! I don't know if she told you, but I designed a lot of my clothing back where I'm from," Orianna said.

"Oh yeah?" Misato said, nodding with approval. "And where are you from again? I know you're the foreign exchange student, right?"

"Right," Orianna said. "I'm from the Va- Aaah. I mean America," she said, correcting herself mid-sentence. Despite the fact that she'd being in this world for coming up on two months, she only needed to say she was from America once – to the class during her self-introduction. Anyone else that asked her, she almost always started to say the Valley of Gold.

"Whaaa! That's so cool that they let you do that!" Misato said.

"Well, it's more like my parents were… pretty well off so they let me do that from time to time," Orianna said sheepishly.

Misato opened her mouth to say something before the door was slid open with force in front of her.

"Guys!" Chiharu said, panting slightly. She held a sheet of paper high above her head. It was a simple form, but the prominent feature was a circular, red stamp in the middle of the page. "We're finally official! This is so perfectly perfect!"

"Well let's get the first official meeting underway!" Kaito said.

* * *

The first assignment Chiharu had given the club was to design a dream outfit. Something that one would want to wear that fit their personality and style perfectly. Orianna stared at the sketch paper, her pencil dancing in her hand as she tried to decide what it was she wanted to design. She knew exactly what she wanted to draw (a huge, flowing ball gown fit for a queen) but she wasn't quite sure of the reaction that she would get from her new clubmates.

Would they think she was weird? Despite the fact that a ball gown is something completely in her style and personality, would it make sense to the others if she said she wanted to be a princess again?

Uninspired by that side of the sketch paper, Orianna flipped the sheet over and went to work. A few minutes later, Chiharu put her pencil down.

"Okay! Time for the reveals!"

As the president, Chiharu said she would go first. She had designed an elegant summer dress, full of intricate designs and she explained that it would have a rainbow of colors in it. Misato had designed a casual cardigan over a plain tank top, a short skirt and long leggings underneath. Kaito's design was a button up shirt with rolled up sleeves underneath a vest with a thin scarf wrapped around the neck, skinny jeans and boat shoes. All eyes turned to Orianna.

She looked at her design before holding it to her chest.

"Um… You have to promise you won't laugh," Orianna said. The other three promised they wouldn't laugh and urged her to show the design. Orianna flipped it over.

"I drew something kind of inspired by princesses," she explained. "Here we have a high-low dress. I like my dresses kind of billowy, so there wouldn't be a defined waistline. It would be mostly yellow, but would kind of fade to pink. I like heels, so I drew some high heels and then I kind of drew a… tiara like headband in the hair."

Chiharu, Misato and Kaito all stared at Orianna's design, gapping.

"Beaumont-san that's amazing!" Misato said.

"That's… really good!" said Kaito.

"It's perfectly perfect! It's screams you!" Chiharu exclaimed.

* * *

The clubs let out an hour later. Orianna clutched her drawing close to her chest, pride brimming in her chest. It was nice to be so welcomed by new people. She was glad that people were more like Natsumi that way. Princess or not, stingy people existed and even more so in the Valley, and Orianna knew how to handle them. But it was so nice to not have to worry about bad attitudes for once. Orianna was walking to the natatorium when she saw Natsumi exit, towel slung over her shoulder, her hair still slightly wet from the practice.

"Natsumi!" Orianna cried, waving the other girl down.

"Orianna! How was your first Fashion Club meeting?" Natsumi asked, her face lighting up when she saw the princess.

"Oh, it was so fantastic! We got to draw our perfect outfit and then we threw some ideas around for the theme of our fashion show. Natsumi," Orianna said, stars in her eyes. "I'm going to design for AND model in a fashion show! I cannot believe it."

"That sounds like you had a great time then!" Natsumi said.

"I did! Oh I cannot wait to show off my clothes. Back home, my clothes were really just for me to wear around the castle while I had my lessons. No one outside of my teachers really got to see them. But now," Orianna paused, taking in a deep breath. "Now people will get to see and admire my clothing… It's scary and exciting all at the same time. It's such a crazy feeling."

"You'll do amazing! With this much passion, how could you not?" Natsumi said.

* * *

Noire floated high above Shizenshima Central High School. The Pretty Cures were always easy to find on this island. They gave off such a stench Noire could find them even without a nose. She looked down at the princess and the Red Cure with disdain.

"_She's_ going to design and model clothing?" Noire said. "That dumb brat doesn't know the first thing about fashion!"

Noire pulled out a sheet of purple-black metal out of thin air. Her hands became a blur as she worked the metal in to the shape of an antelope. Noire inspected her work.

"Not… exactly what I had in mind," she muttered. "But I guess you'll work. Industrialite! Enemy of Nature! Take your form!"

Noire tossed the figurine in the air, the antelope spinning rapidly before spontaneously freezing in motion. An orb of black energy formed around the figurine, purple lightning crackling around it. A second later, the orb grew exponentially. In a flash of black light, a gigantic, animatronic antelope floated for a second before falling to the ground below.

* * *

The Industrialite landed right in front of Orianna and Natsumi. It gave an odd cry, like a mix between a howl and a neigh.

"Orianna! Get back!" Natsumi said, shielding the princess with her body. She grabbed her PreCompass from her bag and readied it for transformation.

**"****Pretty Cure! Direction Change, South!"**

Red light shone around Natsumi's body before exploding off of her a split second later.

**"****The Fiery Southern Bird! Cure Cinder!"**

Once transformed, Cinder wasted no time. She charged for the antelope monster, small tongues of flame spiraling around her body. Her clenched fist made contact with the antelope's forehead. There was a brief pushing match between the two before the antelope flung its head upward, causing Cinder to fall backwards on the ground. The antelope acted fast as it raised one of its front hooves and hovered it above Cinder for a moment.

Fortunately, Cinder was able to roll out of the way before being squashed by the monster.

Orianna stood back, her fingers still clenched on her sketch design. She had faith in Natsumi. She always did. But she couldn't help but feel a fear unlike any other when she watched her best friend fight those monsters. All to protect her.

_"__Chrome, Stream, Willow… Get here soon."_ The princess thought.

The antelope and Cinder exchanged blows for a few minutes before help finally arrived.

**"****Willow Leaf Storm!"**

A barrage of teal colored leaves flew towards the monster, exploding once they made contact with the metallic skin.

**"****Stream Bubble!"** Stream sent an oversized bubble flying in the direction of the antelope, exploding into an enormous amount of water once it hit its target.

"Willow! Stream! Chrome! Thanks so much for showing up!" Cinder said, relief in her voice.

"Well we can't let you have all the fun, leader or not," Willow said. "Let's take this thing down!"

The other girls cheered in agreement while Orianna still watched on from a safe distance. She, too, felt relieved once the other girls showed up. She was grateful the powers of Pretty Cure relied on teamwork, and not just a sole member.

"Oh… What do we have here?" Noire said, appearing from behind the princess. Orianna, distracted, spun around as Noire snatched her sketch out of her hands. Noire inspected it for a brief moment before crumpling it up with one hand and tossing it back to the princess. "Pathetic," she spat. "You don't know the true meaning of fashion! You've got a lot to learn, missy."

"Hey!" Orianna cried, grabbing the crumpled piece of paper. "I worked hard on this!"

"Hard work will help, but if you don't know what fashion is becoming, then you have no hope to pursue it! You should just give up now," Noire said.

"Hey! You leave her alone!" Cinder shouted, charging for the Black General.

"Eep!" Noire said, disappearing in a puff of smoke before the fiery Cure could make contact with her. "D-don't you have a bigger problem to take care of?" She said.

"You are the big problem!" Cinder said. "If you're going to make fun of my best friend and new passion, then you're more of a nuisance than your monster."

"F-fashion is moving into sleek, simple designs! Not those overdramatic, princess-y looks." Noire said, still frazzled at Cinder's sudden confrontation.

"Well it's a good thing Orianna does what she does for herself, and not because someone tells her to!"

"Whatever!" Noire shouted, eyes squeezed shut. "Industrialite, DESTROY Pretty Cure NOW!"

The antelope charged for Cinder, ignoring the other three warriors. Cinder, without turning around, let fire engulf her body. She jumped up and leaned back, heading for a head on collision with the Industrialite.

**"****Cinder Rocket!" **She shouted. Cinder made contact with the Industrialite, crumpling the monster's head in. The job was not done, but she had managed to damage it nicely.

"Chrome! Willow! Help me out here!" Cinder said, grabbing her compass from her waist.

**"****Pretty Cure! Cinder Flame!"**

**"****Pretty Cure! Chrome Cannon!"**

**"****Pretty Cure! Willow Overgrowth!"**

The three attacks all collided with the Industrialite, causing it to explode in multicolored smoke. When the smoke cleared, the figurine of the antelope shattered into nothingness.

"Gggaaaahh! You four are so frustrating!" Noire seethed, disappearing in her usual puff of smoke.

* * *

"She crumpled up my design," Orianna pouted. The mysterious golden light had restored everything that had been damaged, as usual.

"That's okay," Natsumi said. "It's still a great design!"

"This is actually really good," Haruka said, looking over the princess's shoulder at the drawing. "Like, I would wear that, no question."

"I thought you'd like it, Haruka! I actually drew it with you in mind. Well," Orianna said, looking at all four of the girls around her. "I drew it with all of you in mind, really." She smiled softly. "I don't think I've said this yet but… Thank you."

"Thank you for what?" Aki asked.

"Yeah, we haven't really done anything for you," Fuyuko added on.

"You've just… You've been my friends. And that's more than I could ever have asked for. Once the Machine Empire attacked my home – on my birthday no less – I was kind of feeling hopeless." Orianna's face grew solemn. "I only witnessed what happened for maybe five minutes before the Vermillion Bird sent me here, but I didn't have an ounce of hope." She looked up at the other girls, her big smile back. "And you four took me in, even though you didn't have to. You became my friends. And I'm so appreciative of that."

"Aw, Orianna!" Pretty Cure cried, hugging the girl tightly in a group hug. Orianna hugged them all back, as tightly as she could.

"Wait!"

Orianna's sudden cry broke up the hug.

"What is it?" Natsumi asked.

"The Vermillion Bird! She told me to contact her once Pretty Cure was all assembled! And I completely forgot to do that when Haruka joined us!"

"Wait, who's the Vermillion Bird?" Haruka asked.

"The Vermillion Bird, the White Tiger, the Black Tortoise and the Azure Dragon," Orianna explained. "They're the four guardians that watch over my home. In fact," Orianna said, looking at the girls one at a time. "Each of you possesses a small portion of their power, as Pretty Cure. At least that's what I understood before the Vermillion Bird sent me here. They answer to a higher being though, something like a god in my home."

"Who's that?" Aki asked.

"The Golden One. Maybe they can help us get help from him. Maybe that's why the Vermillion Bird told me to contact her. I don't know, but the important thing is that I contact them immediately!"

* * *

"A surprise attack?" Platania asked. She was quiet for a moment, processing what Ophelia and Blanc had presented to her. It was quiet in the Control Room. Empty. It didn't need to be manned. Not really. As long as Platania was controlling the ship, no one really had any business to be there unless she called upon them.

"Not a real plan," she said. "Though… it should work just as well. We don't need to have something elaborate planned out. Brute force alone will show Pretty Cure that they are being foolish children thinking they can take on the Machine Empire."

"We are thrilled you approve," Ophelia said.

"We will move on your command, Your Majesty," Blanc said.

"Good. Prepare the soldiers and all of our ammunition. Soon," Platania said while pausing. "We go to war with Pretty Cure."

* * *

Inori had been running for what seemed like an eternity when the golden light in her vision finally began to grow in size as she drew nearer. She slowed to a brisk jog to a fast walk and soon she stopped, facing the large, golden orb.

"We haven't much time," the voice said. "Everything will be explained to you eventually. But right now, the Guardians need you."

"Wait," Inori said. "Can you at least tell me who you are? Your voice is so familiar to me. I… I feel like I should know you. I'm okay with not knowing what I need to do for the moment, but please tell me that.

The orb was quiet for some time. Again, Inori felt like an eternity passed before the orb spoke.

"I am the Golden One."

* * *

Preview:

Orianna: Vermillion Bird! Please help us!

Natsumi: We need all the help we can get!

Fuyuko: And soon would be good! We're under attack?

Aki: The Machine Empire?

Haruka: Yes! And they're all here!

Next time on _Compass Pretty Cure: _"The Machine Empire's Assault! Pretty Cure's Biggest Fight!"


	10. Pretty Cure's Biggest Fight!

"You're… the Golden One?" Inori asked. She couldn't believe it when the orb had spoken. "But… the tales have always described you as this-this enormous dragon," she said.

"Well, that is a form of mine, yes. Right now I don't have much power, I'm afraid... But Inori," the orb spoke. "Place your hand on me and you'll be taken somewhere safe."

Inori didn't hesitate. She had no reason to. The voice sounded so familiar to her because she had indeed spoken with this voice years ago. Her first conversation with the Golden One when she was a child was the reason she became a priestess at the temple. She placed her hand on the orb and her vision went black.

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure – Episode 10: The Machine Empire's Assault! Pretty Cure's Biggest Fight!_

* * *

Orianna sat at the head of the table, the other four girls sitting around her in quiet anticipation. Orianna took a deep breath before speaking.

"I really hope this works," she said, taking her magic compact out of her pocket and on to the table. It was a quiet Sunday morning. Hotaru and Kazu were at Beachside Café, leaving the house alone for Orianna and Pretty Cure to have a magical conversation with mystical beings. She lifted the lid off of her compact and took another deep sigh.

"Vermillion Bir-" She was instantly cut off as the room melted away into a white nothingness. The five girls were still sitting at their table, but they were no longer in the house.

"W-what just happened?" Haruka asked, her head darting in several directions.

"Are… are we still in the house?" Natsumi asked, poking herself and the table as if to make sure everyone and everything were still physical objects.

"I… I don't know," Orianna admitted.

"This is weird," Aki muttered, pulling the hood of her cardigan over her head. Fuyuko grabbed her cousin's hand.

"You'll be okay, Aki," she said, squeezing Aki's hand in gentle reassurance. Aki muttered thanks to her cousin.

"Princess Orianna," a voice said. The voice was deep but feminine, strong but relieved. "It is so good to see you are safe," the voice sounded again. After a few moments, an orange-red figure began to materialize in front of the table. All five girls locked their vision onto the being.

When she came into focus, the woman was tall and was wearing an elegant set of body armor from head to toe. She wore gauntlets that looked more like bird talons and, one hand was supporting a helmet tucked in her underarm. Her face was hard to make out, as it shifted between a human face and a bird's head. Her hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail when she was appearing to be a human.

"That's the Vermillion Bird," Orianna said.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Pretty Cure," the Bird said. "But please, do call me Tsubame."

Three more shapes in different colors began to materialize around Tsubame. One was a deep, rich blue on Tsubame's left; another was pure white on her right. Next to the blue, a cool toned black figure began to form. Soon, the three additional figures were formed, each one of them tall and impressive.

"And we are the Four Guardians," the four of them all said together.

* * *

The Mother Ship was alive for the seemingly first time since it invaded the Valley. Underlings and soldiers were busily preparing the ship for an attack on the Human World. The Four Generals all stood around Platania's pillar.

"We're ahead of schedule, Your Majesty," Blanc said. "We've left a minimum amount of soldiers on the ground. The rest were recalled here, to the Mother Ship and have been preparing for the assault. Ammunition is prepped and our mechanics are working on getting the ship prepared for the Jump."

"This is good news," Platania droned. "If it isn't understood by now, however, you four will be at the front line, ready with Industrialites. You'll get Pretty Cure's attention and then the backup will come after."

"Queen Platania," Ophelia said. "I think it best if Noire sits out, actually. One of us needs to stay behind with you. Noire has the least amount of tra-"

"Hey! What are you trying to do here?" Noire interrupted. "I'm completely capable of handling myself on the battle field!"

"If you'll excuse us, Your Majesty," Ophelia said, not waiting for an answer from the pillar and grabbing Noire's hand. She let her out of the control room and into a hallway. A few underlings and soldiers were hanging around. "Aren't you supposed to be preparing?" Ophelia barked. Spooked, the underlings and soldiers raced out of the hallway, leaving just Noire and Ophelia.

"You don't have any kind of right to tell me what I can and can't do," Noire said, her voice brimming with hurt. "I can handle myself. I thought you trusted me," she said.

"It's not that I don't trust you, my love," Ophelia said, her voice soft and caring. It was a tone Ophelia only used in the comfort of her privacy, especially with Noire. "I just don't want you to get hurt," she said, cupping Noire's face in her hand. "You're important to me. I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't know you were safe."

Noire's hardened expression softened when she heard Ophelia's concern. She grabbed her partner's hand with her own.

"Thank you for caring about me, Ophelia," she said. "But please, trust me when I say that I can handle myself. Pretty Cure isn't necessarily at full power. At least not yet, they aren't. I will be fine."

* * *

The five girls gawked at the guardians, unsure of what to say to them, exactly.

"These guys protect your home?" Aki asked, breaking the silence. Orianna nodded her head slowly, still in awe of the awesome figures before them.

"Please, girls," the Tiger said, his voice gruff and baritone. "Not everyone needs to speak at once."

"Sorry," Natsumi said. "This is just… kind of unreal to us. I mean one moment I'm looking at this amazing, awesome woman, and the next I see a giant, flaming bird."

"Thank you," Tsubame said. "You know my name. Now meet Tipu," the Tiger gave a small nod at his name. "Daenarys." The Dragon gave a curtsey. "And Pagong." The Tortoise bowed deeply at his name. "First of all, congratulations are in order for you, Princess, for finding the Pretty Cures. I'm sure that wasn't an easy feat."

"Well… To be honest they all kind of… fell into my lap," Orianna said, rubbing the back of her head.

"Ah, well then I'm glad the search wasn't too much of a hassle for you. I know my sudden appearance on your birthday didn't leave a lot of room for explaination," she said.

"No, it didn't," Orianna said, her words becoming somber at the mention of her birthday.

"And unfortunately," Tsubame said. "We can't give you much else by way of explanation. The Golden One has instructed us to keep the truth from you for just a little while longer. He predicted you'll need our help in a very close by future battle."

"But fret not, Pretty Cure," Daenarys said. Her voice was high and musical and she moved with elegance when she walked forward, her gown like robes billowing all around her as she stood behind Haruka. "Our powers are great and we will assist you in anyway we can. Even if that means, at the moment, keeping everything a secret for the time being." She brushed her impossibly long, azure hair out of her face as she gave a coy smirk.

The girls were all quiet for what seemed like hours.

"So… We're just supposed to trust you? You can't tell us fully what's going on and why the Machine Empire attacked the Valley and is now attacking the earth?" Aki said.

"Ha! I like this girl! Always skeptical. Like me," Tipu boomed, giving Aki a hard pat on the back. Thankfully his hand was not covered in metal like Tsubame's. "I knew she was a perfect match for the Pretty Cure of the West." His armor clinked as he shifted his weight while standing next to Aki.

"All will be explained," Pagong said. His voice was fragile and thin, but he was clearly not affected by his old age. He walked over to Fuyuko and smiled, his eyes practically closing in doing so, his long eyebrows framing his face in a perfect visage. "You know you must let me try some of your baked goods from time to time. I hear they're quite delicious."

"Oh, thank you! But how do you know about my baking, exactly?" Fuyuko said, laughing nervously. Pagong's white beads clicked as he bowed at Fuyuko's thanks.

"We know you're all a bit scared at the moment. We know being in the dark isn't easy," Tsubame said, standing behind Natsumi. "All will be revealed, soon. The Golden One has promised, and he does not break his promises."

"Honestly," Natsumi said. "I don't see any reason not to trust them. Orianna," Natsumi turned to the princess. "Do you trust them?"

Orianna eyed each Guardian for a brief moment before sighing.

"I do. I recognize Tsubame from the day of the attack. They aren't lying. But I'm curious," Orianna said. "When is this battle going to happen? You said it was in the very near future?"

Tsubame was about to answer before the Four Guardians tensed up, their animal forms becoming more prominent than their human.

"It appears the Machine Empire is here. Now," Tsubame said.

* * *

The dining room reappeared, though the guardians stayed. Despite their enormous stature, they somehow managed to fit in the room rather comfortably.

"The beach. They've gathered on the beach," Tipu said. The Guardians disappeared and Pretty Cure raced out of Natsumi's house, heading towards the beach. The second they were outside they could see it. An enormous, abstractly shaped ship floated above the bay. It cast its shadow far and wide. Orianna couldn't take her eyes off of it as they all ran towards it. It definitely wasn't the ship that first attacked her home. No, this ship was much bigger and much more menacing. She could feel evil radiating from it.

The girls finally made it to the beach and gasped in horror. The Four Generals stood at the front of the line, foot soldiers lined up behind them, even in the water. Next to the Generals stood four Industrialites, each one corresponding to its creator: A humanoid machine with a gun barrel for a chest stood next to Jonah. Noire sat on a mare with black, flaming hair. A knight-like Industrialite stood next to Blanc, similar to his first Industrialite that he summoned. And finally, next to Ophelia stood a hulking bigfoot like monster.

"Pretty Cure." Platania's voice was amplified from the ship. "We have but a simple request. Hand over the Princess and we will leave this world alone. You can escape this battle before it even begins."

"Like hell we'd give you Orianna!" Natsumi cried. "Girls!" She said, her compass at the ready.

**"****Pretty Cure! Direction Change!"**

**"****The Fiery Southern Bird! Cure Cinder!**

**"****The Steely Western Tiger! Cure Chrome!"**

**"****The Calm Northern Tortoise! Cure Stream!"**

**"****The Elegant Eastern Dragon! Cure Willow!"**

**"****Leading hearts on the path of justice! Compass Pretty Cure!"**

"Have it your way then," Platania said. "But know that you were given a warning and we will not show you mercy. Attack!"

The Generals yelled, storming the beach with their Industrialites and soldiers in tow.

"You four take on the Industrialites and the Generals," Tsubame said, now permanently in her bird form. "We shall take care of the soldiers."

"Wait, what do we do about Orianna?" Cinder asked. "Someone has to protect her!"

Tsubame turned back to the princess. A flicker of scarlet appeared around her, followed by blue, white and then black.

"She has our blessing. She will be safe from them that way. They won't be able to put a finger on her without suffering consequences," she said. And with that, the four Guardians disappeared and reappeared over the water, all in their animal forms, sending out a volley of attacks on the soldiers in the water.

Pretty Cure, too, went into action, just barely missing the first attacks by the Industrialites.

"There are four of them! We've only ever taken one Industrialite at a time and that one requires all of our focus! How do we take on four?" Willow asked, doing nothing but jumping around and dodging attacks from the bigfoot.

"Just take them on individually, I guess," Cinder said. The gun Industrialite had decided to take on the leader of Pretty Cure. It sent round after round of lightning bullets at Cinder. Like Willow, she couldn't do anything other than jump to dodge the attacks. It was the first time she felt the least bit confident in their abilities.

**"****Stream Shield!"** Stream shouted, an oval of rushing water appearing before her, blocking her from the mare's flamethrower. She could hear Noire giggling malevolently.

**"****Chrome Iron Fist!"** Chrome shouted, both of her fists glowing with white energy. The knight was fast, but at least she managed to meet the swishing blade with a deflecting punch.

Willow continued to jump and attempt to land kicks on the bigfoot, but today the Industrialites seemed different. They were more prepared, and faster than any of the Industrialites they had faced before this moment.

* * *

Orianna watched on from a safe distance. Occasionally, flashes of orange-y red, blue, white and black would dance across her vision. She gave a silent thanks to the Guardians, but her protection did nothing to help her grief. This was her fault. This was entirely _her fault_.

She didn't know how the Machine Empire attacked her home, or why. She knew _that_ wasn't her fault. But the battle before her? That was her fault. The Empire attacked because _she_ was the target. Everyone was battling on her behalf. She didn't realize she had been crying until she felt the drips on her hands, which were clenched together on her chest.

"Natsumi," she said softly to herself. "Aki, Fuyuko, Haruka. I-I-I'm so s-sorry," she said. A few sobs escaped her throat. She was powerless. There was little she could do, even if she was protected from being abducted by the Empire. All she knew was that she wanted this fighting to end. She had to put an end to it.

She sniffled a few times, wiped her eyes and looked again to the battle before her.

"I'll give myself up," she said. The Princess took a step. And another step. She was about to take a third before something – no someone – stopped her.

"No," the voice said. "If you give yourself to the Empire, then Platania wins." Orianna froze. It was almost like she had heard this voice before. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something about the voice sounded so familiar.

"B-but my friends! They're doing this for me. I don't want them to get hurt anymore than they have to in my name!" She said.

"They will be fine. They have the Guardians to aid them."

Orianna felt her nails dig into the palms of her hands. She was angry now.

"You don't understand. I need to help them!"

"Staying put is the best thing you can offer them now." The voice wasn't angry. It wasn't even frustrated. It spoke simply, logically. Orianna knew it was right, but she hated watching Pretty Cure fight for her. Every. Single. Time.

"Fine," Orianna said, resigning herself.

"I have a plan. It just needs some time," the voice said.

* * *

**"****Pretty Cure! Cinder Flame!"**

Cinder's signature vermillion flames burst from her compass and swallowed the Industrialite up. But the powered up Industrialite managed to escape the flames.

"How?!" Cinder exclaimed. That was the third Cinder Flame it had escaped. Gritting her teeth, Cinder felt flames engulf her body. She was exhausted at this point, but she had to protect Orianna from the Empire. It wasn't just her duty as Pretty Cure anymore. She had to protect her _friend_.

**"****Cinder Rocket!"**

Cinder felt her body lift from the ground as she charged for the Industrialite.

The other Cures weren't having much luck finishing off the Industrialites either. Willow and Chrome had fired their finishers multiple times as well, each time to no avail. Stream was doing her best to keep defending herself from the mare and Noire.

**"****Chrome Juggernaut!"** Chrome, from head to toe, was suddenly plated with metal. She charged for the knight, landing fists as best she could. "Why! Isn't! This! Working?" She yelled with each punch.

"I don't know! It's like they have this limitless supply of energy or something!" Stream said.

"Whatever it is, it's pissing me off!" Willow shouted. **"Pretty Cure! Willow** **Overgrowth!"** Willow's enormous roots burst from the sand and tried to wrap themselves around the bigfoot.

"Pretty Cure! Just give up! Clearly you cannot win this fight!" Ophelia sneered. "You are facing the entire Machine Empire! This battle only ends in defeat for you."

"Like hell we're going to give up!" Chrome shouted, still swiping at the knight.

"We're going to protect Orianna and our home from you people even if it's the last thing we do," Stream said.

"Then I guess you better get ready to die!" Noire shouted as the mare sent another flamethrower in the navy Cure's direction. Stream only managed to get a shield half formed and the blast from the fire knocked her over.

"Stream!" Chrome shouted, running over to her cousin. "Are you okay?"

"I'm exhausted," Stream said. "But I can still fight. I'll be fine, Chrome."

"Chrome! Stream! Watch out!" Willow shouted. The two Cures turned their attention back to the battle, only to be met with a stream of fire coming their way. They didn't have time to protect themselves. Chrome covered Stream's body with her own and both squeezed their eyes shut… but the fire never made contact with them. Confused, the two cures opened their eyes. Before them stood the tortoise, a transparent black dome of energy surrounding them.

"Those foot soldiers were easy peasy," he said. "Time for a real challenge."

Chrome looked over to see the tiger, in his human form, parrying the blade of the knight industrialite. She looked back to her cousin.

"He could use a shield you know," she said. It was as if the Guardians now assisting Pretty Cure had renewed their confidence in that very moment.

"I'm sure he doesn't really need one, but yeah. I'll go help him, you stay with Pagong," Stream said. She got up and raced over to Tipu, two shields formed on her arms.

"Let's end this!" Chrome shouted.

* * *

In the control room, Platania's pillar began to tremble ever so slightly. The room was doused in red light, her anger filling the Mother Ship.

"WHERE IS HE?" she roared. "SHOW YOURSELF TO ME, GOLDEN ONE."

* * *

The battle was turning out in Pretty Cure's favor quickly after the Guardians began to aid the girls. More foot soldiers had been deposited on the beach, but none of them seemed willing to get too close from the battle, instead choosing to use their firearms from a distance.

Willow and Daenarys, now in her human form, grabbed hands, teal and blue energy radiating around them.

**"****Pretty Cure! Willow Overgrowth!" **The two of them shouted. Roots burst again from the ground, but this time, they were bigger, thicker and surprisingly much more agile than the roots Willow had produced from before. The roots wrapped themselves around the bigfoot, instantly exploding in teal and blue light. When the smoke from that attack cleared, the Industrialite was gone.

Tipu had managed to disarm the knight, and it was clear the mare wasn't going to burn Pagong's shield any time soon.

"Get on the horse!" Blanc bellowed. The knight jumped on the horse, and instantly a flaming jousting lance appeared in its hand. It wasted no time and the two Industrialites charged for Chrome and Stream.

**"****Pretty Cure! Stream Wall!"** With the help of Pagong, Stream had created a watery wall, much higher and wider than she had ever created. The water was rushing upwards with a force that she had never seen before either.

"You ready, kid?" Tipu asked, looking over at Chrome.

"I'm tired, but yeah, lets put an end to this."

**"****Pretty Cure! Chrome Cannon!"**

Once the orb of white light was fired from Chrome's compass face, Tipu raced with it, putting the tip of his own blade behind it. When the wall of water disappeared, Tipu and the Cannon orb collided with the two Industrialites. Instantly, they exploded with white smoke.

* * *

Cinder and Tsubame, however, were not so lucky with their Industrialite.

"I don't get it," Cinder said between pants. "I just don't get it. How is this one so strong?" She looked over at her teammates, only to find them running in her direction. Three of the Industrialites had been destroyed and the Guardians stayed behind to take on the Generals that commanded their now destroyed monsters.

"There's something about this General," Tsubame said. "They're… dangerous. They're more powerful than the other three Generals. I think that's how they're able to have their Industrialite withstand so much damage."

Cinder eyed Jonah from a distance. They were the most powerful General? If Cinder's heart wasn't already beating fast from the battle, it would have started beating nervously then.

"Cinder!" Stream said, the other three girls now standing next to the Red Cure. "We're here to help."

"Good, because I'm going to need it."

* * *

"No no no no no," Platania muttered. "He was supposed to come. He always appears when the Earth is in danger." Inside her pillar, the true, withered form of Platania writhed and twitched with anger. "It doesn't add up. This is the second time he's not appeared. He needs to show his face to me." She was speaking in a hushed, hurried, and obsessive way. Her eyes glowed red.

"Jonah, we will force him out of hiding then."

* * *

Outside, on the beach, Jonah's industrialite glowed with red light and it began to grow in size at a rapid pace.

"What's going on?" Chrome asked in horror.

Jonah had a small smirk on their face.

"Witness the true power of Queen Platania," they said. In a gust of green wind, Jonah disappeared, leaving Pretty Cure to deal with the monster.

"RRRAAAAAAHHH!" It bellowed from a nonexistent mouth. The barrel on its chest glowed with a terrible red light. A second later, a forceful laser burst from the barrel, scorching the sand where Pretty Cure had stood a second before.

"This just got more serious than it was," Tsubame said. "If that monster is using power from Platania herself, then this is bad."

"Who is Platania?" Willow asked, sending a flurry of glowing leaves in the direction of the Industrialite.

"She's the brains of this whole operation. She is your number one enemy," Tsubame said. She scratched at the monster, but the Industrialite was fast and hit the bird square in the chest with its laser.

"Tsubame!" Cinder shouted, running to the crumpled Guardian. She had reverted back to her human form. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," she grunted. "Watch out!" She said, grabbing Cinder and running out of the way of yet another laser. "Where is he?" Tsubame muttered under her breath. "We need your help."

"Who's help?" Cinder asked.

"The Golden One. He's the only one that can take down that monster."

Eventually, Pagong, Daenarys and Tipu appeared, in their animal forms, to attack the Industrialite. Cinder looked back in the direction they had come from. The other three Generals were nowhere to be seen. At least they had a bit more help, even if the Golden One was the only person who could take down the Industrialite.

Attacks were exchanged. Finishers were fired. Shields were raised to block lasers. No matter how hard the Guardians and Pretty Cure fought, they couldn't seem to wear the monster out.

Fed up with the annoyance, the Industrialite jumped up impossibly high. It aimed its barrel at the ground, the red energy collecting in front of it. It formed an orb with the energy and it began to pulse. With each pulse, the orb grew in size, so much so that from the beach, it looked like Pretty Cure and the Guardians were almost looking at a second, closer sun.

"PAGONG, STREAM. A SHIELD NOW," Tsubame yelled. Pagong grabbed Stream and instantly, black and navy energy swirled around the beach. It arched high in the air, forming a protective dome. But before the dome was completed, the laser exploded downwards, hitting the beach with an explosive impact. When the dust cleared, Pretty Cure and the Guardians lay at the bottom of an enormous crater, close to unconsciousness. Their energy spent, the Cures revered back to their untransformed selves. The Guardians appeared to be nothing more than the size of stuffed animals.

"Now you know what you're up against, Pretty Cure," Platania's voice sounded from the ship.

* * *

"NO!" Orianna sobbed from the sidelines as the laser made impact with the beach.

"If you have a plan, I suggest you do it now! Before my friends die because you refused to help them!" She said, openly sobbing. The voice didn't say anything. "Natsumi, Aki, Fuyuko, Haruka!" Orianna said, running for the crater on the beach. "Please don't go," she sobbed. "I need you. I ne-"

Orianna froze in place. She no longer had any control of her body. Her pale pink eyes were glazed over, as if she were in a trance.

"What's… what's hap-" She didn't finish her question. A pillar of golden light erupted from her body and shot high into the sky.

* * *

"He's… he's here! Prepare for extraction!" Platania ordered. The Four Generals had made their way back to the control room.

"Extraction? What are you talking about?" Ophelia barked.

Jonah, on the other hand, went to a computer and did something on the keyboard.

"Extraction ready, Your Majesty," Jonah said.

"I demand to know what's going on here!" Ophelia said. But Jonah and Platania continued to ignore her. Ophelia looked over to Blanc and Noire.

"Do you have any idea what is happening here?" She asked them, her expression a mix of anger and pure terror. Blanc and Noire had similar expressions and neither one of them answered.

Outside the ship, a large tube protruded from the ship, creating a vacuum when it locked into place.

* * *

Pretty Cure managed to open their eyes and watch the scene in front of them unfold. A beacon of golden light was being shot into the sky while trees, water and sand were being sucked up into a tube from the ship floating above the shore.

"What is happening?" Natsumi asked for what she could only guess was the thousandth time that day. The pillar of golden light began to grow in circumference, eventually filling the crater and restoring it to the beach it was.

Above, in the clouds an earthshaking roar was heard. It was so loud, Natsumi covered her ears with her palms, but that did nothing. Eventually, a creature began to form from the golden light. It had eight legs, and a long, scaled body with enormous, bat like wings. Its long neck was thick, and the dragon's head could be seen glaring at the ship.

"What is that?" All four Cures asked in unison. Tsubame, now a small bird that could fit in Natsumi's hand turned to her.

"That's the Golden One."

Pretty Cure gapped in awe at the enormous dragon standing above them. Upon close inspection, however, it didn't seem he was completely there. His body was transparent, and specks of golden light were floating upwards from his body.

"He's dying," Pagong said. He was now a similar size to Tsubame, though he had no neck and his head was completely circular as it stuck out from his shell.

"And he hasn't picked his successor yet," Tipu said. Tipu was a bit bigger than Pagong and Tsubame, but he looked more like a tiger cub plush toy than anything else.

"This will be his final act," Daenarys said. She was a couple feet long in her new form, looking like a blue snake but with four legs, long whiskers and a pair of white horns protruding from her head. She was wrapped around Haruka's arm.

"Platania," The Golden One's voice boomed. "Stop acting so foolishly," Was all he said before a horizontal beam of light engulfed the Industrialite and ripped the Mother Ship in half. The ship somehow managed to teleport off of the Island before crashing into the water.

"They will be back, Pretty Cure. And you must be ready for your final battle with them," he said. The Guardians were scrambling, trying to get is attention so they could talk to him. But if he heard them, he didn't let on. His body rapidly became more transparent before it was nothing but golden specks of light floating into the sky.

Orianna was left standing in the place of one of his legs. She was looking up at the sky with a blank expression on her face. A few seconds later, the Princess collapsed, limp on the sand.

"Orianna!" Natsumi cried, shuffling her way to the Princess. "Orianna, wake up!" Natsumi shook Orianna's shoulders, her head lolling in response. She wasn't waking up.

"Um…" A new voice said. Pretty Cure and the guardians all looked behind them. "Where am I?" Inori asked.

* * *

Preview:

Natsumi: The Machine Empire…

Haruka: I can't believe that's who we're really up against.

Fuyuko: And this girl… She says she can help us?

Aki: I don't know if I trust her, honestly.

Next time on _Compass Pretty Cure!:_ "Inori the Priestess! The Legend of the Golden One!"


	11. The Legend of the Golden One!

Pretty Cure sat around Orianna's bed, each of them looking at the Princess with concern. After she had collapsed, her skin had gone pale and cold, but her rising and falling chest told them she was still alive.

"Is she going to be okay?" Natsumi asked, to no one in particular. She held Orianna's hand gently in her own.

"She should be," Inori said, standing in the doorway. "It seemed to me the Golden One used her body as a temporary vessel as a means to project his essence onto the battle field. And in doing so, it exhausted her mind and body. If I had to guess, she'll be like this for at least a day or two."

No one said anything after that. It was hard to believe that their most exhausting battle had only happened within the span of just over a couple hours. Yet the events of the morning before the battle seemed like years ago to each girl. Inori shifted her weight awkwardly, unsure of what to do next.

"I've never seen the Princess this close," she muttered, unaware she was speaking out loud.

"You…" Natsumi said, turning to the new arrival. "What did you say your name was?"

"My name is Inori. I am… I _was_ a priestess for the Golden One's Temple back in the Valley," she said.

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure: Episode 11 – Inori the Priestess! The Legend of the Golden One!_

* * *

"If you're from the Valley, how did you make it here?" Haruka asked.

"I'm honestly not sure," Inori said, her face scrunching up, trying to recall the details. "I remember running down an alley, trying to escape the Empire… I remember there being this speck of gold, just on edge of my peripheral… A voice was calling out to me. It was the Golden One. After that, everything is fuzzy and then the next thing I know I'm standing on the beach with all of you."

"What is the Machine Empire doing in the Valley? Do you know?" Natsumi asked.

"They've torn the old city down and replaced it with all this… modern, metal construction. When they say they're enemies of Nature, they aren't kidding. There's no dirt, no plants or wood, no concrete. There's not even natural sunlight anymore. They built this… enormous ceiling above the Valley. Day and night are separated by whether or not the lights in the ceiling are fully turned on or not."

Inori ended her recounting with a shiver. "It's horrible back home," she said. "Which is why, and I'm not sure how I know this, I need to help you all. Something in my mind is telling me I need to tell you about the Golden One's legend."

* * *

_A young man knelt in front of a long extinguished fire, his eyes closed. He took in slow, deep breaths, breathing in the incense left behind by the ashes. He wore extravagant monk's robes, with golden intricate patterns knitted into his garb. He was the only one meditating at the time._

_"__Lucius," a woman's voice said. She knelt in the door frame behind Lucius._

_"__Umbra. Sister," Lucius said, opening his sea blue eyes. He turned around to face his sister. Her pained expression told him what she had come to speak to him about._

_"__Umbra, if this is about Mother and Father-" he started._

_"__Lucius, they want you to take the throne. And while I would not oppose the seat, I cannot take it. I am not a male heir," she said her last words with a touch of bitterness. "Please reconsider," she said._

_"__Sister, you are the older twin. I think you should be the Valley's first Queen." Lucius stood, running his fingers through his straw colored hair. "Besides, weren't we given a choice at birth? One will take the throne, while the other will achieve enlightenment? Umbra, I do not wish for riches or luxuries. I want to be enlightened."_

_"__Brother," Umbra said, standing as well. Lucius stood tall above his sister, but the two always managed to look at each other as if they were the same height. "We both want that enlightenment. But no one in the valley will let me take the throne," Umbra said._

_"__Umbra, I know for certain they would allow you to take the throne. Do not lie to me. You never have, so why start now?" Lucius asked. Umbra looked surprised._

_"__How do you know this?"_

_"__Umbra, do not act so surprised," Lucius said._

_"__No, this is not me acting, brother," Umbra said. "How do you know they'd allow me to take the throne?" Umbra's brown eyes shone with tears, and her face seemed to relax. "They would trust me with such a position? The fact that I'm not a male heir is not a problem?"_

_Lucius hesitated. He couldn't look his sister in the eyes._

_"__Lucius, you were just telling me not to lie. I deserve that same respect. They don't trust me as much as they want you to take the enlightenment, don't they?"_

_Lucius looked at his sister with a pained expression._

_"__They have been shown the future by the seer that was present at our birth," Lucius said. "They were shown two futures actually," Lucius continued. "One with each of us achieving the enlightenment."_

_"__And why did they tell you, and not the both of us?" Umbra's words were growing angry and more bitter. "Do I fail?" she spat. "Do I fail to achieve enlightenment? I cannot believe that I, Umbra Aneirin, cannot achieve a life devoid of material things," she said._

_"__That is not what enlightenment means in this case," Lucius said. "There's a… power that comes with it. Godly," he said. "Forgive me, I thought Mother and Father had informed you that you could take the throne."_

_"__No… They had not," Umbra said. "What is this god like power that the seer saw, exactly?"_

_"__He did not see the whole future or outcome of what he saw, only two distinctions. One was a life of wealth and prosperity. Another was one of destruction and horror." Lucius said no more. It was clear to Umbra which outcome would happen with which twin taking the enlightenment._

_"__I am the twin of destruction," she said, her anger gone. Her words sounded hollow and sad now. She let her brown hair cover her face as she looked down at her bare feet._

_"__I did not want to be the one to tell you, sister," Lucius said, putting a consoling hand on his sister's shoulder. "I am truly sorry." Lucius pulled his sister into a hug. A few moments later, his shoulder felt damp. Umbra was silently crying._

_"__Is it sad, brother," she said, muffled from talking into his clothing. "That I still want that power? Regardless if I cause pain and suffering?"_

_Lucius said nothing but hugged his sister tighter, the prayer room they were standing in, quiet._

* * *

_Weeks passed. News broke of Lucius's choice to decline the throne and accept the enlightenment prophesied at his birth. There was to be a ceremony for Lucius, and the whole city was invited to watch. But no one spoke about the fact that the Valley would coronate a Queen once the King either died or stepped down. Umbra grew suspicious._

_"__Lucius," Umbra said, the night before his ascension into Godhood. The two were preparing in Lucius's chambers. "I'm beginning to question whether or not I will actually take the throne one day," she said._

_"__Don't be ludicrous, Umbra," Lucius said. He was trying on his ceremonial robes in front of a tall, full body mirror. "They probably want to focus on their future Queen after I ascend to the next plane of existence." Lucius joked._

_"__I wish you wouldn't joke like that," Umbra said, handing Lucius the final piece to his robes. "We don't know what tomorrow will bring. It's not as if you're becoming the Golden One."_

_"__We don't know what tomorrow will bring indeed," Lucius repeated. He inspected his outfit one last time in the mirror. He eyed Umbra smiling sadly. "Thank you so much for all your help, dear sister." He turned around to face her. "I know the circumstances of this event are unsavory. I… still regret telling you what Mother and Father found out."_

_"__It is for the safety of our people, Lucius." Umbra forced her smile wider. "Do not take pity on me. Get some rest, brother. You have a big day tomorrow." Umbra gave her brother a tight hug, which he reciprocated. "Good night," she said, letting go of him and leaving his chambers._

* * *

_The next morning, the whole public body crammed themselves into the Valley's cathedral. It was always a large enough space, but almost every living body of the Valley was trying to find a seat inside to watch the prince accept his enlightenment._

_Lucius was in a chamber getting ready for the ceremony. A knock at the door told him it was time to make his way down to the main floor of the cathedral. He stood, brushing off invisible dust and left his room. Despite his parents' wishes, he did not have an escort waiting for him out side the door. He took a deep sigh and headed to the stairwell to his right when he felt someone behind him, watching him. He turned to find Umbra._

_"__Umbra! I'm so happy to… see… you…" Lucius's voice trailed off as he noticed something off about his sister. "Umbra, are you alright?" Umbra didn't answer. She stood, swaying slightly, staring off into nothing, though when she heard her name, she focused her attention on Lucius._

_"__Mother and Father won't give me the throne," she said, her voice raspy and hollow._

_"__Umbra, you are being ridiculous," Lucius said, concern building within him. "Umbra, again I ask, are you well? Are you feeling ill?" Lucius took a step forward, but Umbra flinched at the movement._

_"__They'll give the throne to someone else. An unborn child they haven't told us about…" Umbra didn't appear to be talking to anyone in particular, like she had forgotten Lucius was standing right in front of her._

_"__Umbra, please, you're scaring me."_

_Umbra looked again at her brother. Confusion, anger and fear all came and went on her face._

_"__You have to get downstairs," she muttered. She turned her brother around and guided him to the stairwell. "Go," she said, shoving him through the stairwell door. Lucius looked at his sister with concern. He didn't know what was happening with Umbra. She was speaking nonsense. Their parents were lucky to conceive himself and Umbra. They certainly were not about to announce a pregnancy at this ceremony._

_Lucius made his way down the stairwell, still shaken by Umbra's words. Once he entered the main floor of the church, cheers erupted from the denizens of the Valley. Lucius made his best attempt at a smile and waved to his subjects as he walked towards the center of the room. The King and Queen were standing on either side of the alter. The priest began to speak to the congregation, though Lucius wasn't listening._

_"__Mother," he whispered, since she was closer to him. "Have you spoken with Umbra today?"_

_"__No… Why?" she whispered back._

_"__She… seemed out of sorts. She said you weren't going to give her the throne anymore."_

_"__Lucius don't be ridiculous. We spoke with her last night about how we would plan her coronation after today."_

_"__But she seemed convinced you weren't telling the truth. She mentioned something about giving the throne to an unborn child."_

_"__Where would she get such an idea?" The Queen said, turning her attention away from the priest and onto Lucius. "Your father and I have tried, but there will be no more royal children, I can guarantee that."_

_Lucius and the Queen didn't continue the conversation. Mainly because the Priest was now calling for Lucius to step forward, but there just wasn't anything more to say after that. Lucius stepped forward, but he still wasn't quite listening to everything the Priest was saying, his mind on Umbra and her strange behavior that morning. She was also nowhere to be found, which was even more concerning to him._

_The Priest seemed to reach the climax of his speech._

_"__And now… Prince Lucius will receive the greatest gift we could all hope to achieve… Enlightenment."_

_A loud groan sounded from above the people in the cathedral as the roof seemed to be opening up, letting sunlight in and washing the cathedral interior with a golden tint._

_"__We now will kneel before... The Golden One."_

_There were a few gasps from the crowd. Lucius felt his face go slack and his jaw drop. He turned to the priest._

_"__The Golden One?" Lucius asked. Every living thing in the Valley was aware of the Golden One. He was like a god to them. He was the embodiment of nature. If anyone had enlightenment, it was the Golden One. Lucius looked out in front of him. There was a flickering image beginning to appear within the cathedral. It was a tall, winged dragon with eight legs and an enormous body. If the dragon were physical at the moment, he would certainly have demolished the cathedral._

_"__Lucius Aneirin," the dragon's voice was a deep bass and echoed throughout the church. "You are in a peculiar situation. One doesn't normally choose enlightenment. Rather, enlightenment chooses a person."_

_"__I am honored to be in your presence, Holy One," Lucius said, kneeling on one knee, looking down at the ground._

_"__Rise, my son," the Golden One said. "It is time for me to pass on my title of Golden One to my successor."_

_Lucius jerked his head upward, a look of awe and fear on his face._

_"__I… will be the next Golden One?" He said, his words barely a whisper, though the church was so quiet everyone heard him._

_"__My time has come to an end. This is the last day of my life, and as the Golden One, it is my duty to ensure a successor. However," the Golden One said, pausing for a moment. "There is a test that comes with this passing of energies. Should you pass it, you will become the Golden One. Should you not… well… Your parents will be planning a funeral shortly after this ceremony ends. I have to ask you," he said. "Are you ready?"_

_"__I… I don't know how one can prepare for this but," Lucius said, looking around to try and see if Umbra had made her way down. "I believe I will try my hardest to overcome any obstacles that come my way."_

_"__A good answer," the Golden one said. He lifted his front most right leg and touched Lucius's forehead and chest with two of his claws. "The trial will begin." The Golden One burst into hundreds of thousands of golden orbs. Lucius's limbs went taught and he held out his arms. The orbs were entering Lucius's body through his open mouth and his eyes. Within seconds, the orbs had disappeared within Lucius and the cathedral lost its golden tint, sending everything back to the way it was. The roof closed back on itself. Lucius's vision became blurred and before he knew it, black._

_A second later, he was looking down on his limp body; lying at the base of the cathedral's alter. He tried to speak, but couldn't. He floated there, silent and unable to let anyone know he was okay. The priest and his parents had flocked to him with concern. It was then that Lucius realized he couldn't hear anything that was being said._

_Around Lucius's body, an aura of black began to appear, and his body was carried upwards as the aura began to flow outwards and form into the figure of an old, bald monk. He spoke with the Priest and the King and Queen for a brief moment. After he finished talking, all three of them nodded their heads. Lucius's vision went blurry again and as the old monk disappeared into thin air with his body, Lucius fell once again into a black, dreamless sleep._

* * *

_"__Please… Lucius…"_

_"__Please… Let us know… you're alive…"_

_"__Lucius… we love you…"_

_Lucius's eyes flickered open. Was that his mother and father he had just heard?_

_"__Ah, you're up boyo. You were out for a few days," an old man said. Lucius turned around to find the old monk that had spoken with his parents the day of his ceremony._

_"__Where am I?" He asked. The old man's face wrinkled even more than it already was as he smiled._

_"__Why you're in the spirit realm," he said. The more Lucius's vision focused, the more he noticed that the old man's head was shifting between a tortoise's head and a human one. "And congratulations are in order! You've passed the trial! You're officially the new Golden One."_

_A pang of pain hit Lucius's temples, causing him to clutch the sides of his head. It wasn't just his parents' voices he was hearing anymore._

_"__Ah, yes," the monk said. "What you're hearing is the prayers of everyone in the Valley. After all," he said, savoring his words. "You're their god now."_

_"__I'm… really the Golden One?" Lucius asked._

_"__Well you wouldn't be a thousand foot long dragon otherwise!" The monk said._

_Lucius was suddenly aware of a pair of wings on his back and four extra limbs. He craned his neck to look at his body. Surely enough, his body was long, and enormous in size and it definitely wasn't human anymore. Despite the pain of the thousands of prayers running through his head, one stood out to him. It was his mother again._

_"__Umbra… Lucius… she's in trouble. If you've become the Golden One… Please save her."_

_"__Umbra. My sister," Lucius said, turning back to Pagong._

_"__Ah… yes…" Pagong said, his face becoming serious. "That brings up the next thing I wanted to tell you. As it turns out… the futures that the seer saw when your parents visited him for ta second time… that was _one_ future. Not two. Your sister has been taken over by something evil, I'm afraid."_

_"__How did this happen?" Lucius said._

_"__I wish I could tell you, Master," Pagong said._

_"__Master?"_

_"__Yes, don't you remember? The Golden One is the leader of the Four Guardians. We'll explain everything to you later. We'll be with you for a while. Right now, your home needs you."_

_Lucius flew over his home. If people could see him or notice him, he couldn't tell. In their defense, they were likely too terrified to notice him. He could hear shrieks among countless prayers for the horror to end._

_At the edge of the Valley, flying in from the Mountain of Fire at the southern boarder, was a bat as dark as night the size of the cathedral. But there was something… different about it. It seemed to be built out of some kind of metal, even though it was acting very much like a living thing. It noticed Lucius immediately, screeching._

_"__Brother. You've come," Platania shrieked._

_"__Umbra?" Lucius said._

_"__My name is no longer Umbra. I am Queen Platania! And I will take what was mine, brother! You stole both the throne _and_ the enlightenment from me. I have _nothing_! Nothing but hatred and anger. And I will level this Valley and start anew."_

_"__Umbra, do you hear yourself right now?"_

_"__MY NAME IS NOT UMBRA!" The bat screeched, charging for Lucius. Lucius prepared for impact, when suddenly a streak of rich blue shot across his vision. From the east had come the Azure Dragon. She collided with Platania, giving Lucius some time to understand what exactly was happening._

_"__How did this happen to her?" Lucius asked._

_"__I wish I knew," Pagong said, now in his animal form. The White Tiger and the Vermillion Bird joined the Azure Dragon in fighting Platania._

_"__Why aren't you fighting?" Lucius asked._

_"__As the Tortoise, the first Golden One deemed it fit to designate me as his defender, not a battler," Pagong said. "It will take all five of us, however, to seal your sister away and protect everyone from harm."_

_"__How do we do that?" Lucius asked._

_"__Ah, I forget how you all need to learn the ropes," Pagong said nostalgically. "Quite the first day. For you, it's a matter of simply speaking it while we incapacitate her. But she needs to be weakened. Those three," Pagong said, nodding in the direction of the other three Guardians. "Are more than capable of doing so."_

_"__How will I know when to speak it?"_

_"__You'll know," Pagong said._

_The Guardians battled the bat relentlessly. They showed no signs of fatigue. Lucius watched in horror, but Pagong told him that he needed to save his energy for the sealing._

_"__YOU CANNOT STOP ME. I AM THE ENEMY OF NATURE I WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING THE GOLDEN ONE STANDS FOR. I WILL GET MY BIRTHRIGHT!"_

_In her moment of rage, Platania didn't notice the three Guardians latch on to her, constraining her from any movement. Pagong produced a transparent shield around the Guardians and Platania._

_"__Umbra… No, Platania," Lucius said, his voice echoing with power. "You are an enemy of nature. A threat to innocent lives." Golden light began to collect around Platania as she shrieked in pain and frustration. "Your evil must be contained. You must be sealed."_

_Tsubame, Daenarys and Tipu all let go of Platania as the golden light continued to collect around her body. The shield Pagong created began to close in on her, constricting her even more than before. Soon, she was nothing more than a black cylinder, floating in mid air. Six golden seals appeared, four around the pillar and two on the top and bottom._

_"__Be gone." Lucius's words caused a ripple in the air. The pillar disappeared as the Valley began to glow with more golden light. Any damage done by Platania was being restored thanks to the power of the Golden One. For a brief moment, Lucius felt his head clear. He felt like collapsing, but he floated above the Valley proudly. It was a bittersweet moment for him. He was happy his home was safe, but his heart broke for his sister._

_"__Umbra… I promise I will save you," he said._

_"__Well, this is the new guy, huh?" Tipu said, he and the other two Guardians joining he and Pagong. "Splendid job for the first day. I am Tipu, the White Tiger of the West. But you more than likely know of this already."_

_"__I am Daenarys, the Azure Dragon of the East."_

_"__And I am Tsubame, the Vermillion Bird of the South."_

_"__Yes, I learned all about you while I was growing up. It is a pleasure to meet you all. Thank you for your service to the Valley."_

_"__Well, that's new," Tipu said. "Your predecessor never thanked us for anything. I like him already."_

_"__What Tipu is trying to say," Tsubame said. "Is that we are glad to welcome you into our circle, Master. We look forward to protecting this world with you for the next 500 years."_

* * *

Nobody said anything as Inori finished speaking. Natsumi was the first to speak up.

"So… Golden Ones only live for 500 years? I thought gods were immortal?"

"Most of them are," Tsubame said. "But when you have the power to restore an entire planet's life energy? That much power can only be contained by a person for so long. That much power comes with limitations on a body."

"Is that all we need to know?" Haruka asked. "Have you all figured out what corrupted Umbra?"

The Guardians looked at each other solemnly.

"We were close..." Daenarys said. "The five of us were close to an answer, but... Lucius searched far and wide for a way to restore his sister to the way she was before. But no such luck. So much so that he forgot about appointing a successor."

"Well, wouldn't she be his successor?" Aki asked, looking at Inori. "You just told us the origin of this whole thing."

Inori mulled Aki's words over before answering. "I don't think I am his successor. I do not feel any more powerful than I did before arriving on this island."

"Oh…" Aki said.

"And if I were, I would have had to go through a trial of some sorts. I have no memory of that," Inori said, rubbing her head. "Golden Ones retain the memories of their predecessors. Their entire 500-year lives. I have no memory of Lucius's time before his choice to accept enlightenment, nor do I have a memory of his trial. In fact, the memories I just told you are already quickly fading away."

"It's okay. You've helped us in more ways than we could possibly ask of you," Fuyuko said. Inori smiled at Fuyuko, continuing to rub her temples. But as she did so, she remembered one final piece of information left behind to her.

"Even…" she started. "Even if I wanted to be Lucius's successor, I couldn't."

"What do you mean?" Natsumi asked.

Inori looked over at Orianna. She swallowed hard.

"I mean… Only those of royal blood can become a Golden One."

Nobody said anything as they turned to look over at the sleeping Orianna. In that moment, Orianna's eyes flew open.

* * *

Preview

Orianna: What happened to me?"

Natsumi: Um… I think… Wait, what's that in your hands?

Orianna: I don't remember picking this up.

Aki, Fuyuko, Haruka: What is that?

Natsumi: It's… a PreCompass?!

Next time on _Compass Pretty Cure!_: "The Golden PreCompass! There are 5 Pretty Cures?!"


	12. The Golden PreCompass!

All eyes were on Orianna as she adjusted to her new surroundings. Seeing so many faces around her, the Princess scrunched her face in confusion.

"Umm… What's going on?" she asked, pain suddenly lancing through her head. She winced as she ran her fingers on her forehead. "Ugh… what a nasty migraine."

"Do you remember anything?" Natsumi asked. Orianna looked over at her roommate, her expression lost in thought.

"No… I remember standing on the beach… that Industrialite was about to hit you all with a laser and then… all I know is that I'm waking up just now." Orianna sat up, and something clattered to the floor as she did so. Everyone looked down at the floor to see what Orianna had dropped.

It was a polished gold compass, with a yellow-white plated face. The four directions were sectioned off, and a large, four-point indentation was in the center of it. But the piece that fit into it was nowhere to be found.

"Is that…" Aki started.

"It can't be… Can it?" Fuyuko asked.

"Does this mean…" Haruka said.

Natsumi picked up the compass. "This is definitely a PreCompass."

The four Pretty Cure warriors all exchanged glances before all staring at Natsumi's hand.

"EEEEEEEEEHH?"

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure – Episode 12: The Golden PreCompass! There are 5 Pretty Cures?!_

* * *

"Where did it come from?" Natsumi asked, looking back to Orianna.

"I… I don't know. I definitely didn't have it on the beach."

"Maybe it's a gift from the Golden One?" Aki offered.

"That… That might not be totally unrealistic," Tsubame said. "It's a very real possibility that the Golden One thought Platania's powers were more than he was anticipating for you four and that one more member to the team would help you."

"We were fine by ourselves," Haruka muttered, crossing her arms and sticking her lower lip out.

"We almost got annihilated," Fuyuko said.

"A fifth member," Natsumi said, staring intensely at the compass. "Looks like we'll be on the search again!"

"Um, if I may?" Inori said. "Two things. I can study the compass with the Guardians to verify if it has power similar to your own PreCompasses."

"Oh, you would do that for us?" Orianna asked. "Wait, who are you?"

Inori nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess Orianna. My name is Inori. I was a priestess for the Golden One's temple back in our home. My second point,"Inori said. "I've just realized I don't have anywhere to stay in this world."

"Aaah. If Orianna didn't take up the last remaining bed in my house, I'd offer you a place here," Natsumi said sheepishly.

"My family's apartment is tight as it is," Fuyuko said.

"Mine, too," Aki said.

"Fine, you can stay with me," Haruka said, though it didn't seem she cared either way. "My parents are mostly not home. But even if they were, we have three guest rooms in my house, so it's not like it would matter. And I'm honestly quite certain my parents would be thrilled I said I'd take an exchange student under our wings. Plus," Haruka paused, eyeing Inori. "You could use some new clothes."

"Thank you so much. You're very kind," Inori said. "May I?" she said to Natsumi, holding out her hand for the compass.

"Oh, right." Natsumi placed the new compass in Inori's open palm.

"It shouldn't take more than a couple days to test the compass's magic. And since I'm now staying with Haruka, I can compare this compass with hers. I'll try to get you all a result as soon as possible."

"Hey, you're doing us a huge favor. Take your time with it!" Fuyuko said.

"Then… I guess we go our separate ways now. We'll let you rest, Princess," Inori said.

Pagong turned to his fellow Guardians. "You all go on with the priestess. I will stay with Cure Cinder and monitor the Princess." The other Guardians nodded and with that, the three of them, Aki, Fuyuko, Haruka and Inori all left Natsumi and Orianna alone with Pagong.

"Inori was right. You need to sleep. I'll try and explain everything that went down when you've woken up," Natsumi said.

* * *

The halved Mother Ship rested on the largest clearing in the Valley. Jonah, with their helpers, was working furiously to try and get the ship repaired. Many of the crew, and even the Generals were in awe of the Golden Ones massive power.

"To rip through the entire ship like it was nothing…" Ophelia said, watching from a distance. They had managed to extract Queen Platania's pillar from the control room and give her a set up in a small encampment near the ship.

"I've never seen power like that before," Noire said, latching on to Ophelia's arm and holding it tightly, lacing her fingers from her free hand with Ophelia's. Ophelia squeezed Norie's hand gently.

"It was truly terrifying," Blanc admitted. "What is our next course of action, Queen Platania?" he droned.

Platania's pillar was buzzing with harsh, furious whispering. None of the Generals were able to make out what it was she was saying, but they knew the whispering was coming from her.

"What we need to do now," Platania said after a long, pregnant pause. "Is keep a close eye on the Princess. The Golden One seemed to have hidden a part of his essence in her body. She is his successor."

"Golden Ones have successors?" Noire asked.

"When you have the power to restore a planet's life force, it comes with a cost. Immortality is not apart of that deal. An extended life, yes. But Golden Ones can only be chosen from the Royal Family. And they are chosen every 500 years, when the Golden One's life comes to a final end."

The Generals were silent.

"So it is possible that at the last second, then, that the Golden One chose the Princess to be his successor?" Ophelia asked.

"He would have had no other choice but to choose her. The current princess is an only child. That is why I wanted her," Platania explained. "I knew that he would have to transfer his powers into her. But when he did, I would extract his powers and use them to finally destroy every last natural thing in all the worlds. Princess Orianna is the new Golden One, whether she knows it or not. The plan is the same: capture the princess and bring her to me. Alive."

* * *

When everyone was gone and Orianna had a chance to bathe and eat and rest, she, Natsumi and Pagong met in the duo's room.

"Princess," Pagong said. "I need to ask you, do you remember anything from the past few hours?"

Orianna was quiet for a moment, her brows furrowed in thought.

"I… I remember stepping out on to the beach because the laser hit you all the Industrialite fired. And then… everything kind of went black." Orianna touched her temples, rubbing them with her index and middle fingers. "And then I woke up with you all looking at me and when I sat up, my head got this massive headache and it hasn't gone away."

"Do you hear anything?" Pagong asked. "Words, prayers, requests? Anything?"

Orianna sat at the edge of her bed, her hands dropping from the sides of her head. She concentrated on the pain, trying to see if she could make out anything like Pagong had described.

"No… I don't. I don't hear anything except the beating of my own heart, my breathing… Not anything like words or prayers. I'm sorry," she said.

"No, no my child," Pagong said, floating over to the Princess and dropping into her lap. "You're doing very well."

"So… Is she…?" Natsumi didn't finish her question.

"Am I what?" Orianna asked. Natsumi held her breath, deciding if she should continue her train of thought.

"When you stepped out onto the beach," Pagong said. "Some how, the Golden One appeared from within you. From my perspective, it seems as if he somehow hid some of his essence inside of you. How that happened, I'm not quite sure, but-"

Orianna gasped. "The push," she said.

"What push?" Natsumi asked.

"When Tsubame opened the portal for me to enter into this world, I hesitated," Orianna said. "And suddenly I felt this intense pressure behind me and it propelled me into the portal. I always just assumed it was the Bird but now… It all makes sense."

"Wait, I still don't follow," Natsumi said.

"Okay, let me back track a little," Orianna said. "Right after the Machine Empire attacked, there was this pillar of light all around me. It only stayed for a brief moment, but after that happened, there was this immense roar. Tsubame noticed it and seemed a little worried about it. I mean she should have, considering it was golden light. Then she gave me my task of finding you four and then bam, I'm in the human world. I think the Golden One was the one that pushed me through the portal, not Tsubame."

Pagong was listening intently, nodding as Orianna spoke. "Yes… I believe you may be right. And in doing so, he latched on a piece of his spirit to you. That's why he appeared from your body today."

"I can't believe I missed seeing the Golden One," Orianna said.

"Well…" Natsumi said, her voice unnaturally high.

"What?" Orianna asked, eyeing her.

"Should I tell her or you?" Natsumi asked, looking at Pagong.

The Tortoise ignored Natsumi. "Princess Orianna, when you were unconscious, did you see or hear anything? I know we keep asking you this, but it is important, I promise."

Orianna closed her eyes, trying to remember anything and everything that she might have seen, heard or felt during her blackout.

"No… I can't think of anything," she said, finally. "I'm sorry."

"No, child. Like I said before, you've done very well." Pagong looked over at Natsumi and motioned for the door. "You get some rest, again. You've had an exhausting morning."

Orianna fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow. Natsumi and Pagong left the room. Natsumi hadn't realized how dark it had gotten. Again, it felt like the mornings events had happened many years ago. She was exhausted herself.

"It does not appear that Orianna has gone through the Trial of the Golden One," Pagong said.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well to start, newly chosen Golden Ones take about a day or two to wake up. The Princess woke up in a matter of hours. Secondly, she has no recollection of her blackout. While not uncommon for most Golden Ones, they do usually wake up having seen some kind of golden face. They normally don't remember anything once they've woken up. The test to become the Golden One is, fortunately, always forgotten because of how grueling it is for a person's soul. But the after image of a face is always what they wake up remembering seeing."

"And Orianna can't seem to recall that detail," Natsumi finished.

"Precisely… But make no mistake Orianna is the Golden One. This was a rare instance of her being the only choice since she is an only child. But her powers have not manifested yet because Lucius did a rush job with transferring his powers."

"So Lucius appearing from Orianna's body… That was him transferring his powers?"

"It would appear so. He started the process by hiding some of his spirit in her, but it seems he waited too long to bestow everything properly," Pagong said.

"So what do we do?"

"We don't do anything. We don't tell her anything. We can't until she has gone through the Trial. Besides, she doesn't need that stress. We need to keep her safe from the Empire at all costs," Pagong said. Natsumi bit her lip. She didn't know that she agreed with Pagong about not telling Orianna anything.

"Since you work so closely with Golden Ones," Natsumi said. "I'll trust you. If it's in Orianna's best interest."

* * *

"Why doesn't she tell us these things?" Ophelia asked to Blanc and Noire. The three Generals didn't have much to do since Jonah was the one in charge of fixing the ship. They knew nothing about the complexities of the mechanics required of fixing the ship. Idle chatter was all they had to pass the time.

"It's almost like she doesn't trust us," Ophelia went on.

"She tells us that it's on an as needed basis," Noire said. "And yet… Jonah knew exactly what to do when she said prepare for extraction."

"If she says that it's on an as needed basis, we shouldn't argue that fact," Blanc said. "Queen Platania has been perfecting this plan for 500 years, don't you think she would know what she's talking about?"

"I would if she actually talked to us!" Ophelia barked. "Instead Jonah is the only one that seems to know her true plans. I'm her second in command! Why don't I know the plan?"

"Need I remind you that you were made second in command only because Jonah turned her down?" Blanc spat.

"Enough, you two!" Noire said, standing up and extending her hands out between Blanc and Ophelia. "I agree with points you've both made. Platania needs to tell us more, but at the same time if she's not willing to divulge all of her plan to us, then we need to respect that. Can we just stop the shouting match now?"

Ophelia huffed as she turned around and Blanc said nothing as his eyes darted around their tent, avoiding Noire and Ophelia.

"I'll take care of the Princess in the meantime then," Blanc said. In a swift flash of diamonds, Blanc disappeared from the tent.

* * *

Fortunately for Pretty Cure, it appeared that the Machine Empire was too injured from Sunday's battle to attack the island for a few days. The girls enjoyed their small moment of peace and returned to regular routine of school, club activities and homework.

"We have to be prepared for when they do show up," Orianna said as the girls ate their lunch in the school courtyard. "They won't be repairing their ship forever."

"Right," Natsumi said. "In the mean time, we need to make sure the Guardians get their strength back and we keep Orianna safe." Natsumi had made sure to let the other girls know that Orianna was not to be told about anything surrounding the Golden One selection. And as far as Natsumi knew, Orianna still hadn't seen the face in her dreams that Pagong mentioned. "Though I guess we got really lucky that the Golden One showed up and saved us from them. I don't want to think about the state of things if he hadn't."

"Speaking of," Fuyuko said, turning to Haruka. "Any word from Inori on the compass?"

Haruka shook her head. "Not anything she's willing to tell me anyway. Though she said this morning that she's close to a breakthrough and that she wants us all to meet at my house to discuss what she's found so far."

"And if she doesn't make that break through today?" Aki said.

"We still go see her. She's not found anything definitive at this point, but I think she's got some information for us, regardless," Haruka said.

"Okay, well now that that's settled… Look at my design from yesterday's fashion club meeting!"

* * *

"Your house is huge," Aki said, looking up at the mansion. The five girls stood in a long, palm tree lined driveway. They had all been driven over (by a limo no less) to Haruka's house once each girl was done with their club activities.

"Yeah, I guess you could say it's huge," Haruka said nonchalantly. She walked up to the large, heavy looking, ornate front door and opened it with ease. She gestured her friends inside. "After you," she said.

The girls all met in the guest room Inori was staying in. It had a set of double French doors opposite to the room's entrance, both of which opened out to a balcony that overlooked Haruka's backyard. The curtains swayed lazily in the soft, beach breeze as Haruka's backyard was a few hundred yards away from the beach.

Inori was sitting at a small tea table on balcony. She had changed out of her tattered robes and was wearing a soft yellow t-shirt with sheer sleeves and a light pink, floral patterned skirt. Tsubame, Daenarys and Tipu all sat around her in various places. Inori turned to face her visitors.

"Oh! Girls! I'm so glad you came," she said getting up and entering the room. "I have made a huge breakthrough on the compass. With the help of the Guardians, of course."

"That's great news!" Fuyuko said. The girls followed Inori to the desk that sat to the right of the French doors. Haruka's compass was on the table next to the gold compass.

"It is indeed," Inori said. "The Guardians and I have concluded that this compass does indeed contain Pretty Cure magical capabilities."

"Really?" Aki asked. "So we do have to find a fifth cure."

"Ah, well... I should correct myself and say that this compass has the capability to have Pretty Cure magic," Inori said.

"It has the capability?" Haruka asked.

"Yes," Tsubame said, entering the discussion. "As of right now, the compass is powerless. In its current state, it possesses an extremely small amount of magic power."

"It's just a shell really," Daenarys said. "However, it reacted well with Haruka's compass. It seemed to be drawn to a fully powered PreCompass."

"We think that if each of you deposit a portion of your power, the compass will become fully functional," Tipu said.

"How would we do that?" Natsumi asked.

"You use it," Inori said. "At least, that's what we think. If our dissection and assessment of the compass is correct, each of you should be able to use this compass for a one time only attack."

"Once you've used it, the compass will have absorbed the necessary energy from that Cure's power. And once all four of you have used it, the compass will become fully activated," Tsubame said.

"And then we search again for a Pretty Cure member?" Aki asked.

"Again, not exactly," Inori said. "This PreCompass… while just a shell right now, seems to be almost… alive. As Daenarys mentioned, it was drawn to Haruka's compass. We'd separate the two, but the gold compass would always manage to… move itself closer to Haruka's compass."

"So what does that mean?" Orianna asked.

"I think what it means is that this compass will pick its owner by itself," Inori said. "And it absolutely means that the Golden One intentionally left this compass with Orianna. He realized the four of you will not be enough to take down the Machine Empire. But again." Inori paused. "This is all just a guess on our part. Whether or not we're correct is yet to be seen."

* * *

Blanc marched down the wide, long driveway that ended right before a rather large mansion. He could sense the presence of Pretty Cure and the Princess in the building somewhere.

"Time to draw them out," he said. He pulled out a sheet of Industrialite metal and molded it into an arrow. "Industrialite! Enemy of Nature! Take your form!"

The arrow floated out in front of Blanc as a dark purple aura surrounded it. Immediately the arrow came alive, bubbling and morphing itself into something much bigger. Soon, a twenty-foot tall humanoid Industrialite stood in front of Blanc. It had an empty quiver draped over its shoulder and a bow in its right hand.

"Attack!"

The Industrialite reached back to the quiver as an arrow of purple electricity formed in it. The Industrialite grabbed the arrow, nocking it and pulling back. More arrows appeared in the air around the Industrialite. It let go of the arrow it was holding on to and the energy arrows hit the house.

* * *

The mansion shook as the arrows pelted it. The girls all looked around, startled at the sudden attack.

"The Machine Empire!" Natsumi said. The girls and the Guardians all ran out of the guest room. Once they got to the front door, Natsumi looked at Pagong.

"Keep Orianna safe in here," she said. Pagong said nothing, but nodded as the girls all exited the house. The archer Industrialite stood a ways down the driveway, with Blanc standing in front of it.

"Pretty Cure," he called. "Hand over the Princess and I'll make sure this house doesn't get leveled."

"We can't let you do that!" Natsumi said, readying her compass. Inori handed Haruka's compass back to Haruka as Aki and Fuyuko got their compasses out as well.

**"****Pretty Cure! Direction Change!"**

**"****The Fiery Southern Bird! Cure Cinder!"**

**"****The Steely Western Tiger! Cure Chrome!"**

**"****The Calm Northern Tortoise! Cure Stream!"**

**"****The Elegant Eastern Dragon! Cure Willow!"**

**"****Leading hearts on the path to justice! Compass Pretty Cure!"**

The girls leapt into action as Blanc ordered the Industrialite to fire another volley of arrows at Pretty Cure.

"You girls always choose to do things the hard way," Blanc growled. "Fire at them again and don't stop!" Blanc ordered.

"We won't let you take Orianna! She's important to us and we can't let you or the Empire have your way with her!" Cinder shouted, deflecting a few of the electric arrows with her fists.

"We will always protect her from the likes of you," Stream said, raising a shield to block arrows that came her way.

**"****Willow Leaf Storm!"** Willow's barrage of leaves met with some arrows in mid air, exploding in small clouds of smoke when they did. "And we certainly won't let Platania destroy Nature itself."

Both of Chrome's fists were glowing with white light as she punched arrows out of her way. "We may not have the power to take you down by ourselves, but we will stop you one way or another!"

"Enough talking!" Blanc said. "Industrialite! Destroy Pretty Cure! Unleash every arrow you have!"

Purple arrows appeared in the air surrounding the archer. At first, only a handful appeared, but with each passing second, hundreds of arrows appeared in the air, and each of them bigger than the arrows that the Industrialite had previously summoned.

* * *

From the safety of the front step of the house, Inori and the Guardians watched Pretty Cure battle the Industrialite.

"I've never seen power like that from just… ordinary girls," Inori said.

"They're not just ordinary girls," Tsubame said, perched on Inori's shoulder. "Not anymore anyways. They fight valiantly." Tsubame looked down at the compass in Inori's hands. "I just hope this fifth Cure is what they need to take down the Empire."

At that, the compass seemed to come alive. Inori's hands jerked forward as the compass seemed to realize the battle going on before it. Inori pulled back on the compass, trying to regain her composure.

"What is it doing? What do I do?" She asked, her voice a few octaves higher with confusion and fear.

"Just… Hold on to it!" Tsubame chirped.

Inori pulled back on the compass, unsure of what to do. But the compass was attracted to the battle, as if it were pulling the compass with a magnetic pull.

* * *

**"****Pretty Cure! Stream Wall!"**

Arrows pelted the water wall, disappearing into smoke when they made contact.

"Clone yourself!" Blanc shouted, throwing his arm out to the side as he did so. The Industrialite lowered its bow for a brief moment. It began to flicker, and soon, there were a dozen archers all surrounding Pretty Cure in a circle.

"Crap," Chrome said as the girls all back up towards another, forming a small circle of their own. "Now there are twelve of them. What do we do?"

"Try and take out three each?" Cinder said. "I don't know, honestly… Blanc means business it seems."

"Ugh, why couldn't the Golden One just destroy them when he appeared the last time?" Willow groaned.

"Well he didn't, so it's up to us to take them down," Stream said.

"Stream, make a wall that surrounds all of us. That's the best way for us to not get hit by this thing. And then Chrome, Willow and I will just… attack." It wasn't much of a plan, but it was the only one Cinder could come up for at the moment. Even though they all had their backs to one another, Cinder could tell each teammate nodded when she finished talking. "Okay… three… two… one. GO!"

* * *

Inori tried her hardest to keep the compass in her hands, but the pull was beginning to strain her fingers and arms. Her grip loosened. The compass shot out of her hands like a bullet towards the battle.

* * *

**"****Pretty Cure! Stream Wall!"**

A hollow cylinder of water erupted around Pretty Cure as another volley of arrows hit. But before any of the girls could get out of the pillar to attack, the gold compass flew into the middle of the battle.

"What is it doing here?!" Chrome asked.

"I don't know," Stream said, looking up at the compass. It was spinning rapidly in the air, looking like a gold coin someone had flicked. Streaks of yellow light were fired from the compass. Stream's wall of water disappeared as they flew outwards. The eleven Industrialite clones all disappeared, leaving the one archer still standing next to Blanc.

"Let's go!" Cinder shouted, grabbing her compass from her waist.

**"****Pretty Cure! Cinder Flame!"**

**"****Pretty Cure! Chrome Cannon!"**

**"****Pretty Cure! Willow Overgrowth!"**

The three attacks hit the lone archer and it exploded into multicolored smoke. When it cleared, the Industrialite was gone. Blanc narrowed his eyes in anger, his frown deepening.

"We will get the Princess, Pretty Cure! It's only a matter of time!"

"We will always be here to make sure you don't do just that," Cinder said to the White General. He scoffed at her remark before disappearing in a flurry of white diamonds.

* * *

Golden light from within the earth restored the face of the mansion and any palm trees that had been destroyed in the battle to their original states. The girls detransformed as the compass lowered itself into Natsumi's open palm.

"What the heck did you do?" she asked it. Inori, Orianna and the Guardians all ran out to the four girls.

"I'm so sorry," Inori apologized as she got within earshot. "It… it was moving on its own again. I wasn't strong enough to keep it with me."

"No! It saved our backs," Haruka said. "I definitely didn't want to take on multiple archers by myself."

"Wait, guys look," Natsumi said. She was pointing at the compass face. The four-point indentation on the face was now glowing softly with yellow light. "It wasn't doing that before, was it?" Natsumi gave the compass over to Inori, who began inspecting it.

"No, it wasn't doing that before. It hasn't done that at all." She set the compass on the ground and the four Guardians huddled around it.

"It's definitely got some magic of it's own now," Pagong reported.

"It's still a small amount of power, but it's there," Tipu said.

"How peculiar," Daenarys said, poking it with one of her toes.

"I think the next time the Machine Empire tries to attack," Tsubame said, looking over to Pretty Cure. "One of you should definitely try and see if you could use it for an attack instead of your own compass."

* * *

After the Industrialite attack, Haruka treated her guests to a small assortment of snacks before everyone decided it was time to go home. Natsumi and Orianna sat in their beds back at their house.

"Man, that was a nice couple of peaceful days," Natsumi said, resting her head on her palms while she stared at the ceiling.

"Yeah…" Orianna agreed, brushing her hair, feet dangling over the edge. "I still always hate it when you girls get in trouble when you're fighting those Industrialites. Especially when you're fighting them because of me."

"Don't worry about that," Natsumi said, turning over on her side to look at Orianna. "We're your friends. It's what friends do. You'd do the same for us, I'm sure."

Orianna set her brush down, a soft smile on her face. "Yeah, I definitely would if I were in your shoes." She reached over to the light switch on the door and flicked it down. With the lights off, the two girls said their good nights and went to sleep.

Orianna, however, fell into a fitful sleep. She could feel herself tossing and turning the entire night. She was dreaming about something… but she could never quite make out what exactly the dream was about.

"NO!" Orianna shouted, jerking up right. Her forehead was drenched in sweat; small threads of hair were plastered to her cheeks because of it. She was breathing hard as well, and she could tell her cheeks were flushed. "Air," she said, throwing her covers off. "I need fresh air."

She looked over to the clock. 2:41 AM it read. She walked over to the nook that she normally found Natsumi sitting on when she woke up for the day. She hastily undid the latch and opened the window, taking in a deep breath of island air.

"Why can't I ever stay asleep now?" she asked. She turned back to Natsumi. Apparently her outburst hadn't bothered Natsumi. The last few nights for the Princess had usually resulted in her waking up the middle of the night, drenched in sweat and feeling hotter than ever. She sat down on the cushion, and rested her head on the wall. She took a few more deep breaths and closed her eyes.

There, like an after image, or a sunspot, she saw a face. She opened her eyes, but saw nothing but the wall opposite of her. She blinked quickly for a few moments, the face only appearing when her eyes were closed.

"What is happening to me?" she asked.

* * *

The sun had started to rise as a ferry pulled into the Shizenshima Southern Docks.

"We've now docked in Shizenshima's Southern Prefecture," a voice said over an intercom. There was bustling and shuffling as people readied their luggage and prepared to exit the ship. A young girl of sixteen was at the front of the line, a large duffle bag draped over her shoulder and a suitcase in her left hand. She wore a simple, off white and pink dress with sections of pink that had white flowers in them. Her once bright blonde hair had dulled into a sandy blonde and was tied into two loops that brushed her shoulders.

"Ready to get home, Miss?" the ferryman in charge of letting people off the boat asked.

"I'm so ready. It's been two years since I've been home."

"Well, I won't keep you then," he said, opening the exit.

Ayame raced down the steps and through the dock.

"Natsumi! I'm finally home!"

* * *

Preview:

Natsumi: You guys! My old friend is finally home from studying abroad!

Orianna: Oh yeah?

Fuyuko: That's so great! When can we meet her?

Aki: If she's a friend of Natsumi's she's a friend of ours.

Orianna: I bet she's not _that_ great.

Haruka: Jealous, Orianna?

Orianna: Wh-what? N-no! Of course not!

Next time on _Compass Pretty Cure!_: "Smiling Bird: Natsumi's Old Friend! The Miko of Shizenshima!"


	13. The Miko of Shizenshima!

**"****Pretty Cure! Cinder Flame!"**

Cinder shot her finisher at the train Industrialite, sending it up in a ball of flames. The fire spiraled around the monster for a brief moment before exploding into red smoke. The train was restored to normal, and any damage done was restored by the gold light from within the earth.

"Wait!" Inori said, running up to the battle. "You forgot to use the Compass," she said, out of breath by the time she caught up with the group.

"Gaaah! You're right," Cinder said. She took the compass out of Inori's hands and cupped it with her own. "Maybe some residual power is still on me!" she said. The South section on the compass lit up with a faint red light before dying down into its regular silver grey. "Darn…" Cinder said, handing the compass back to Inori.

"We'll just have to remember to use it next time is all," Stream said.

"Yeah, it's not the end of the world," Chrome said, patting Cinder on the back. The girls detransformed back to their normal selves. They chatted with Inori for a second, asking if Orianna was still in a safe location. Haruka was speaking with Fuyuko about homework when suddenly she stopped mid sentence, putting up her hand in interruption.

"Wait," she said. All the girls looked at her. "I get… the feeling that someone is watching us."

The girls suddenly went quiet and a bit on edge. Haruka turned around slowly and her suspicions were confirmed. Standing not far from the group was a girl with sandy blonde hair tied into loose loops that brushed against her shoulders. Her dark lips were gapping as she stared at the group as if they had just caught fire.

"Natsumi?!" The new comer said. Natsumi came forward, recognizing the voice immediately.

"Ayame?!" She said a mix of fear and excitement in her voice.

"What did you guys just do?!" Ayame said.

"EEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHH?" The group of girls responded.

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure! – Episode 13 – Smiling Bird: Natsumi's Old Friend! The Miko of Shizenshima!_

* * *

"Wh-what are you talking about, Ayame?" Natsumi asked, a nervous laugh slipping out between every couple words.

"What do you mean what am I talking about! I just saw you shoot fire at this train monster and then you… became yourself again!"

The two girls ran up to each other and hugged one another regardless of the awkward situation.

"H-how was your time abroad?" Natsumi asked, trying to avoid the situation altogether.

"Do not change the subject, Minami!" Ayame said. "You guys were like… some kind of magic warriors straight from a tv show or something!"

"Um… Natsumi?" Aki asked from behind. "Are… you going to introduce us?"

"Oh! Right," Natsumi said, looking back and forth between her old friend and her new friends. "Ayame, this is Aki, Fuyuko, Haruka and Inori. They're all new friends of mine." Each girl bowed to Ayame at her name. "And girls, this is Kinomoto Ayame. She's my best friend."

* * *

"B-b-b-best friend?!" Orianna said, appalled. "But, but, but Natsumi!" Orianna said, clutching Natsumi's shoulders. "I thought _I _was your best friend!"

Natsumi smiled sheepishly as she patted Orianna on the back. "A person can have more than one best friend, Orianna," she said. "But if you and Ayame became friends, that would be the icing on the cake!"

"Kinomoto Ayame," Ayame said, sticking out her hand to Orianna. "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Orianna eyed Ayame's open hand, going back and forth between looking at the hand and Ayame's face. Slowly she extended her own hand and grabbed Ayame's. Suddenly, Ayame pulled Orianna forward and gave the Princess a hug.

"Come on, handshakes are too formal," she said, her smile wide. She let Orianna go, whose face had become flushed at the embrace. "So… Natsumi has replaced me in the two years I've been gone, huh?" she said, nudging Natsumi in the side.

The girls had since moved to Beachside Café, and were all sitting around the biggest table in the small shop.

"Yeah, I got bored without you," Natsumi said, the two girls laughing at their jokes. "But in all seriousness I actually just met Orianna at the beginning of the school year."

"Oh, really? So where are you from, originally?" Ayame asked.

"Well," Orianna started, keeping her voice low. "I tell people I'm from America. But my real home is a place called the Valley of Gold."

"Whoa," Ayame said. "Where's that?"

"Not anywhere in this world. But over there, I'm a princess and I'm loved by thousands and thousands of people," Orianna said, trying to show off a bit in front of Natsumi's other best friend.

"Oh man," Ayame said. "A princess from a magical world…? That's… That's so cool!" Orianna shrunk down in her chair a little. The other girl clearly wasn't intimidated by being in the presence of royalty.

"We've all been kind of roped into this crazy situation," Haruka said. "Not that I don't mind it," she added on quickly.

"It's definitely been a challenging couple of months," Fuyuko said. "But we've all met new friends because of it. So it's definitely got its upsides."

"I can't believe my best friend became a magical warrior while I was gone and she didn't even tell me," Ayame said, giving Natsumi a side-glance before giggling. "But don't worry, I get why you didn't tell me. If I had to guess, you haven't told anyone."

"Nope… Kind of hard to imagine anyone believing us if we did," Natsumi said.

"So you and Natsumi go back?" Aki asked.

"Yeah, we met when we were ten. At the end of this scavenger hunt assignment we were given," Ayame said. "I told her right from the start that we were friends, and ever since she just went with it. Which, looking back was kind of a weird way to start a friendship. Meeting a person and saying 'Okay we're friends now' but I don't know where I'd be without Natsumi."

"Heh… Ayame stop," Natsumi said with blushing cheeks.

"Y-yeah… Me and Natsumi were kind of instant best friends, too," Orianna said.

"So Ayame," Haruka said, changing the subject. "Natsumi told me that you were studying abroad. What were you doing?"

"Yeah, I was!" Ayame said. "I went to China for the first year, and then my parents had me go to America, of all places, for the second year. Needless to say, I got really good at my English."

"That is so amazing," Fuyuko said. "I've often thought about taking some time to study abroad. But we could never afford that," Fuyuko said sheepishly.

"I've got an Aunt who lives in America!" Haruka said. "I go to see her every summer. Maybe we can have an English conversation sometime."

"I've had teachers that came from dozens of other countries and kingdoms and continents teach me. Why go abroad when you can bring them right to you?" Orianna said.

"Oh nice," Ayame said, genuinely interested in what Orianna said.

"So wait," Aki said. "Are you of the Kinomoto as in Kinomoto Shrine here in the Southern Prefecture?"

"Yup! My family owns that shrine! I'm a shrine maiden."

"What's… a shrine maiden?" Inori said for the first time in the conversation.

"Shrine maidens are kind of like supplementary priestesses for a shrine. We do a lot of sacred cleaning, and we sometimes put on dances and help with things like _omikuji_, which are just little strips of paper that tell you your fortune. My dad has me run our little shop most of the time though."

"I do that," Inori said, suddenly very interested in the topic at hand. "I used to do a lot of that back home," she said earnestly, as if she had to make Ayame believe her.

"Are you from the same place as Orianna then?" Ayame asked.

"Yes, I'm from the Valley of Gold. I assisted many Elder Priests and Priestesses at our Golden Temple."

The mention of the temple caused Orianna to shift uncomfortably in her seat, which everyone seemed to miss except Inori since she was sitting right next to the Princess. She turned to Orianna, giving the Princess a quizzical look. Orianna shook her head, silently telling her to not ask.

"That's so cool! I'd never once thought I'd meet a priestess from another world," Ayame said.

"I think the sentiment is mutual," Inori said, giving a soft smile to her fellow priestess.

"Hey!" Ayame said, getting everyone's attention. "Let's go visit my family's temple!"

* * *

_Natsumi, fourteen, ran up to Ayame in the courtyard._

_"__Hey goofball!" she said._

_"__Hey," Ayame said with a somber tone. Natsumi's smile vanished, concern forming on her face._

_"__What's the matter?" Natsumi asked, putting aside the friendly jokes at once. "Are you okay?" Ayame nodded slowly._

_"__I mean, I'm not in any trouble and nothing bad has happened," Ayame said. The early spring morning was a bit chilly underneath the shade of the tree the two girls were standing under. The shade made it slightly difficult for Natsumi to make out what Ayame's face was saying._

_"__So what's got you down in the dumps?" Natsumi asked._

_"__Would you be okay if we didn't see each other everyday for two years?" Ayame asked. If there was one thing Natsumi both appreciated and hated about her best friend it was this: Ayame never beat around the bush. The girl always got straight to the point. It had caused some arguments between the two girls here and there, but they came out better friends because of it every time. Natsumi mostly loved that about her, but this was one of the moments where she wished Ayame had put things a bit more delicately._

_"__Wh-what do you mean? That… that you don't want to be my friend anymore? Why for only two years? If you don't want to be friends anymore… shouldn't it be, I don't know, forever? Did I do something wrong?" Natsumi couldn't sop the questions from being blurted out._

_"__No! No! I'm not saying that, you goof," Ayame said. "I'm just saying… My dad and my mom managed to find some money and found this awesome study abroad program. I'd be… going to school somewhere else. For two years."_

_Natsumi was silent for a moment, processing what Ayame was saying._

_"__It would suck. Though I guess I could take a break from seeing your face every day… heh heh," Natsumi said, trying to make a feeble attempt at lightening the conversation with humor. "But… I guess really the only question I have to ask is if you really want to do it."_

_Ayame pursed her lips. Natsumi knew the answer in that moment, but she let Ayame speak anyway._

_"__Yeah… I think I do. It would be such an amazing experience. Plus, you know how hard it is to say no to my dad. Especially when he's being passionate about something. Both of my parents think this would be a great opportunity for me to have. They said I'd get to experience life away from home before it actually comes time for me to move out."_

_Natsumi gave a sad smile. "How can I say no then?"_

* * *

Everyone but Inori, Ayame and Natsumi was winded by the time they reached the top of the steps.

"I've had days where I've danced for eight hours straight," Haruka said between breaths. "And those stairs are worse than the hardest routine, training, practices and rehearsals I've ever done."

"Are we sure that these stairs aren't put there for torture?" Fuyuko asked, leaning on the _torii_ gate for support.

Aki lay on her back when the reached the top. "Sometimes eating Fuyu-nee's awesome sweets can come back to bite you," she said.

"Princesses… should never… have to… take that many… stairs… ever," Orianna said, breathing the hardest out of everyone. "How… are you not… out of breath?" she asked.

"Do you know how many times I have to take these stairs?" Ayame asked. "Natsumi's come up them so many times, they don't faze her at all."

"The stairs for the Golden Temple are much steeper and greater in number than those," Inori said simply.

"Show offs," Haruka mumbled, hands on her knees as she caught her breath.

"Nah, just lots of experience with climbing stairs," Ayame said, offering a hand to Aki. Once everyone had a chance to regain their breath, the girls faced the Kinomoto Shrine.

"Wow… I've always heard people talk about this shrine, but I've never actually visited it before," Aki said.

The shrine was at the top of a wide hill with an extremely flat top, which was perfect for having any kind of building built on it. The shrine wasn't any bigger than a normal shrine; the main and offering halls were in one building about the size of an average cottage. It was mostly brown, but had a vibrant, vermillion roof. _Ema_, wide, pentagonal wooden plaques, were hanging from threads on a set of four boards that made a box and next to the entrance was a horizontal pole filled with strands of _omikuji_, strips of fortune paper that were tied around the pole_._ Right in front of the steps leading up to the entrance of the shine sat a pair of _komainu_ – or lion dog – statues.

"Ah, it's like I never left," Ayame said. "My parents are out getting some groceries to make a big 'welcome home' dinner for me. And they closed the shrine for a couple days while they get to spoil me. But yeah, this is the family shrine! We have a house around back."

"It's such a beautiful shrine," Fuyuko said.

"Thanks! We take a lot of pride in how well we run this place. And of course visitors are always welcome to come and give prayers and thanks."

"Not as impressive as my castle…" Orianna mumbled. "But it is really pretty," she said, staring at the scene in front of her with wonder.

Inori took in the shrine around her. It was so different from the temple she had grown up in, yet it was also so familiar at the same time.

"Are you…" Inori started. "Are you looking to maybe have another set of hands here?" Inori asked.

"Yeah! Of course we'd love to have some extra hands on deck!" Ayame said. "We can work together after school."

"Oh…" Inori said. "Um… I don't think I've had any plans for attending school here."

"Really?" Haruka asked. "My mom already thinks you're an exchange student…"

"Well, I would love to go, but I have no knowledge of this world's history or language or culture or anything like that. Actually, now that I think about it the only way I'm able to understand everything that's being said, like the Princess, is through magic of the Valley," Inori said. "I would be a terrible student because of that..." She said sheepishly.

"Aw, that's okay," Natsumi said. "I'm sure that the Kinomoto family would love to have your help around here anyway, school or no school."

"Why did I have to go to school then…?" Orianna mumbled to herself.

"We even got you a school uniform…" Haruka continued, though her words fell on deaf ears.

"Welcome aboard, Inori-san!" Ayame said, extending her hand out.

* * *

"Good news," Jonah said to their fellow Generals. "We've managed to get the ship back together."

"That was fast," Ophelia said.

"We work fast," Jonah replied. "But there is still a lot of internal damage." Jonah was now addressing Platania. "We can take you back inside the ship, if you wish."

"No," Platania said. "I will be fine out here still. The ship is not much of a priority as is finishing Construction on the Valley. I want you to leave the ship to your mechanics and return to the main job at hand here."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Jonah said. They gave a short bow before leaving the tent. It was quiet except for the banging of hammers and whirring of screws coming from the ship.

"Well don't just stand there like idiots," Platania said. "You still need to bring me the Princess."

"Right away, Your Majesty. I will go," Ophelia said. In a flash of orange lightning, Ophelia disappeared from the tent.

* * *

_"__So tomorrow's the day," Ayame said, sitting next to Natsumi on the steps of the shrine entrance. The sun was setting and the late spring breeze brushed Natsumi's hair across her face. She was quiet with her arms wrapped round her knees._

_"__It was weird not seeing you at the entrance ceremony today," Natsumi said, keeping her eyes forward._

_"__I thought you said you wanted a break from my face," Ayame joked. "But yeah… I know I said I'd try to make it, but my parents had a lot of things going on for me today. You wouldn't believe how many checklists they had and how many times they checked them," Ayame said, trying her best to keep the conversation light. Natsumi didn't respond though. "Hey," Ayame said, putting her hand on Natsumi's shoulder. "I know you're upset, but when you think about it, two years is going to seem like two weeks when you look back on this."_

_"__I guess you're right," Natsumi said. "But living those two years will seem like two centuries."_

_"__Don't be so sad about this. Please?" Ayame asked. "We'll still write and e-mail and video chat and talk about dumb things as much as we can, right?" Natsumi gave a silent nod, though her lips had curled up, ever so slightly. "It's not like I'll be dead or anything. We'll still have each other," Ayame said, leaning over and hugging Natsumi._

_Natsumi wrapped her arms around Ayame as well. "I'm really happy for you though," she said after a while. "I'm not thrilled about not seeing you everyday for two years, but I'd be a selfish friend for wanting you to stay. Especially since you want this just as badly as your parents to."_

_"__Thank you Natsumi," Ayame said. "My only request is this." The two girls let go of one another and they turned, so that they were both looking at each other eye-to-eye. "Don't be alone while I'm gone." Natsumi's mouth gapped a little, not expecting that was what Ayame was going to say. "I need you to make friends while I'm gone. Can you do that?"_

* * *

After the visit to the shrine, the girls went back to Beachside Café for a final chat – and more comments from Orianna about her lavish life before meeting Natsumi – before heading back to their homes. Ayame and Natsumi were standing outside the café, the two hugging each other tightly. When the two let go, Ayame's brown eyes were shining in the sunset.

"Why are you about to cry?" Natsumi said.

"I'm just… so happy to see your dumb face again," she said, the two giving a small laugh. "But really it's because you did what I asked of you," Ayame said, smiling. "You met some amazing girls and made some great friends. I'm so happy for you." Natsumi smiled back, her own eyes welling with tears.

"It was pretty lonely for a while after you left. And I did make some new friends during those two years of middle school. But a lot of them wanted to go to Shizenshima Eastern High School. And the ones that did go to Central High School ended up in different classes than me. So… I had to start over again this year."

"But you still made friends! That's all that mattered to me. And now that I'm back, I expect you to forget all of them and only hang out with me all the time." The two laughed at Ayame's joke for a moment that seemed longer that it probably was. When they stopped laughing, they hugged once more. "Okay, I've got to head home and let my parents spoil me," Ayame said.

"It's great to have you back, Ayame," Natsumi said, hugging her friend tighter. Ayame took in a deep breath of island air.

"It's great to be back. I can tell we'll be in store for some great things," she said, letting go of Natsumi.

"Um, before you go," Natsumi said. "We need to talk about something… What you saw this morning?" Ayame nodded slowly.

"Yeah… About that, I guess," she said.

"I can explain everything to you later, but… What's bugging me is how well you've taken it. Like… You don't seem to be bothered by the fact that I became this magical warrior right before your eyes."

"I guess I've just seen stranger things," Ayame said. "I mean you do know how much I believe in the supernatural. And truth be told, I could always tell that there was something about you that I knew would… attract some of that."

"Ah, so that's why you became friends with me," Nastumi joked.

"Exactly!" Ayame chuckled. "But in all seriousness… I'm not bothered by the fact that my friend is a magic warrior because… I'm just not. If anything, I think it's cool that you are."

"Well then you know that-"

"Yeah, I can't tell anyone. What would be the fun in telling people about this?!" Ayame said. "It was good to see you today. I'll see you in a couple days after school, but I've really got to go. My parents will have my head if I'm late to my dinner."

* * *

Ophelia eyed the shrine from the top of the stairs.

"This whole place… It's too full of nature here. And to make matters worse," she said, taking a few steps forward. "It's dedicated to gods." She summoned her Industrialite gun and aimed it at one of the _komainu _statues that sat, face to face, in front of the steps to the shrine.

"Industrialite! Enemy of Nature! Take your form!"

She pulled the trigger and the bullet came to the exit of the barrel, doubling, tripling in size before launching from the barrel. It collided with the _komainu_ statue, and it instantly became a blackish hue of purple. The statue began to morph and grow in size. Seconds later, the _komainu _was growling in front of Ophelia. It was the size of the shrine, and when it howled, the _torii_ gate trembled.

"DESTROY THIS PLACE!" Ophelia bellowed.

* * *

Natsumi and Orianna were in their room, doing their homework.

"Hey," Natsumi said. "Are you okay? You were saying some pretty odd things today to Ayame."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Orianna asked, her face flushing.

"I mean it's like you were trying to show off or intimidate Ayame. I don't think she minded or noticed that's what you were trying to do, but I've just never seen you talk so much about your life before coming to Earth before."

"I guess…" Orianna started. "I guess I just wanted her to think that she wasn't going just take you back now that she's home. Or I guess I didn't want you to forget about me and hang out with her all the time now. I know you said you can have more than one best friend, but… I don't know."

"It's not a competition, Orianna," Natsumi said gently. "I'd never just drop you out of the blue like that." Natsumi turned her chair around to face Orianna, and Orianna did the same. "I'm sorry you thought that I would though. We're best friends and nothing will ever change that!"

"Okay… Yeah… I was being silly to think that our friendship was so weak," Orianna said, smiling. Just then, a loud, distant howling sounded. Orianna jolted out of her seat, staring in a seemingly random direction.

"There's an Industrialite," she said.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that out," Natsumi said, standing up as well.

"It's coming… It's coming from the Kinomoto Shrine…" Orianna said.

"What? How do you know that?" Natsumi asked.

"I… I'm not sure, but you need to get there now. Ayame and her family are in danger."

* * *

Natsumi had called Fuyuko, Aki, Haruka and Inori about the Industrialite and the five girls met at the base of the stairs that lead up to the Kinomoto Shrine. Natsumi had told Orianna to stick behind at the house.

"Are you ready?" Natsumi asked. The girls eyed the stairs.

"It'll be easier to get up those when we're transformed," Aki said.

**"****Pretty Cure! Direction Change!"**

**"****The Fiery Southern Bird! Cure Cinder!"  
"****The Steely Western Tiger! Cure Chrome!"  
"****The Calm Northern Tortoise! Cure Stream!"  
"****The Elegant Eastern Dragon! Cure Willow!"**

**"****Leading Hearts on the Path of Justice! Compass Pretty Cure!"**

The girls took the stairs three at a time, and with ease. When they got up to the top of them, the _komainu_ had already done a lot of damage. Cinder looked around, trying to find Ayame and her family.

"You three distract the Industrialite! I'm going to try and find Ayame and make sure she's safe!"

"So nice of you to join me, Pretty Cure," Ophelia said. "But I'm here for the Princess! Hand her over and I can make this go away."

"You guys say the same thing every time," Chrome said, landing an Iron Fist on the side of the _komainu_.

"And our answer will always be the same!" Stream said, landing a few punches and kicks of her own.

"Like hell we'd give Orianna over to you!" Willow said. **"Willow Leaf Storm!"** Willow fired her leaves at the monster. The Industrialite was quick, however. It managed to dodge the leaves, and it noticed Cinder running around the side of the shrine. It charged for her.

"Cinder watch out!" Willow shouted.

Cinder turned to look over her shoulder, and sure enough, the _komainu_ was running right behind her, only just a few paces behind. Comfortable with how close it was, the Industrialite leapt up and landed on Cinder, pinning her to the ground on her stomach. It growled as Cinder struggled to break free. It's claws dug into Cinder's skin, sending a biting pain through her arms.

"Natsumi!" Ayame cried. As best as she could, Cinder looked up and saw Ayame a few yards in front of her.

"Ayame! Get out of here! Get somewhere safe! This thing is going to destroy your shrine if we don't stop it."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Ayame asked.

"RUN!" Cinder shouted. She let her anger take over for a brief moment, and vermillion flames swallowed her body. The _komainu_ yelped at the sudden combustion and let Cinder go.

**"****Cinder Rocket!"** Cinder shouted, getting up quickly and pushing off the ground with as much force as she could muster. She crossed her arms in front of her face as she connected with the Industrialite, sending it backwards and away from Ayame and her family's house. "I won't let you hurt my friends!"

* * *

_Ayame's flight didn't leave until after school had let out. She had made sure her father would get a ticket around that time so that Natsumi and a few other school friends could see her off. Ayame chatted with a few of her friends before going through the security, where no one would be able to talk with her unless they had a ticket._

_"__Ayame, it's getting late. You need to get through security and find your gate," Ayame's father said, looking at his watch._

_"__But Natsumi hasn't come by yet," she said. She said goodbye to the friends that had made it there and after they were out of earshot she turned back to her father. "Can't we just wait a few more minutes?"_

_Her father sighed. "Five more minutes. And if Natsumi isn't here, then you'll have to go."_

_Ayame thanked her father and turned back to the airport doors. She swallowed hard._

_"__Come on, Natsumi," she muttered under her breath. Each minute felt shorter than the last, and her father put his hand on her shoulder once it was time to go._

_"__Five minutes are up. You need to go, Ayame or you'll miss your flight."_

_"__But dad, Natsumi-"_

_"__Couldn't make it, clearly. Ayame, I'm sorry but you need to go."_

_Ayame didn't care that she was openly crying in front of her father. Her best friend hadn't come to see her off. She slowly turned around, trying to rationalize why she hadn't come._

"Maybe she got held up at swim practice. Maybe Hotaru really needed her to work at the café," _she thought. She let her mind wonder to any and every possibility except for the possibility of Natsumi not wanting to come. She was about to take her shoes off before she heard her name being called._

_"__Ayame! Ayame! Wait!"_

_Ayame spun around. Natsumi was running as fast as she could to catch up to Ayame. Shortly behind her was Hotaru, walking briskly and calling after Natsumi._

_"__Natsumi!" Ayame cried, running towards her best friend. The two stopped once they got close to one another. They didn't say anything, but instead hugged each other tightly. "I was so worried you wouldn't come," Ayame sobbed into Natsumi's shoulder._

_"__I'm so sorry," Natsumi said, sniffling. "Getting to Shizenshima North was rough. Practice ran late and Hotaru had to get Kazu to watch the shop while she drove me up here since the train was going to take too long."_

_"__Whatever," Ayame said. "I'm just glad I got to see you before I left."_

_The two girls stood there, hugging each other so tightly, as if they couldn't let go of one another even if they wanted to._

* * *

Cinder's flames danced wildly around her body after she had attacked the Industrialite, and showed no signs of dying down.

"If you want to destroy this shrine, you'll have to go through me!"

"And us!" The other three Cures said, taking up position on Cinder's sides.

"Ugh, enough with the heroics! Just give me the Princess and I'll be on my way," Ophelia growled.

"She's somewhere safe, away from you. And we'll make sure you never get your hands on her!"

"Agh! Attack!"

The _komainu_ charged once again.

**"****Chrome Juggernaut!" **Chrome's body solidified into polished steel and she ran out in front of the group. She planted her feet in the ground and extended her arms. The Industrialite met Chrome's open hands, causing Chrome to skid backwards.

**"****Stream Splash!" **Stream formed a sphere of water and threw it at the monster. When it hit, the ball burst into water, disorienting the Industrialite for a brief moment.

**"****Willow Vines!" **Vines from Willow's hands wrapped themselves around the _komainu's_ legs, body and snout, incapacitating it and making it vulnerable for a finishing attack.

"Cinder!" Inori shouted. "Take this!" Inori chucked the gold compass in the direction of Pretty Cure. It wouldn't have made it anywhere near them if it didn't come alive mid throw. It found its way to Cinder's open palm. The second it was in Cinder's hand, the flames around her body changed from warm vermillion to brilliant gold. She readied the compass in front of her body.

**"****Pretty Cure! Golden Cinder Flames!"**

Gold fire burst from the Compass face. Chrome jumped out of the way of the attack as it met the monster head on. It swallowed the monster, and the fires spiraled around it before exploding into yellow and red smoke. Once it cleared, the Industrialite was gone.

"Whatever," Ophelia muttered, fleeing the scene in a bolt of orange light.

On the compass face, the southern section lit up with a bright red light.

* * *

The gold light restored any damage from the fight, and the girls, including Ayame, were standing in front of the shrine.

"Thank you guys so much for protecting me and my family's shrine," she said. "That battle was crazy… I really thought the _komainu_ had you guys."

"We've fought tougher monsters before," Haruka said, puffing her chest out. "But that guy sure did give us a run for our money."

"We're just glad you're safe," Fuyuko said.

"And that we're also sorry for putting you in danger," Aki said.

"Oh, don't worry about her," Natsumi said, draping her shoulder over Ayame. "She's a big girl. She doesn't need our help. She'll get help from the spirits instead."

"Hey! Who said I wanted _your_ help anyway?" Ayame joked.

"Good thing I don't need to be asked," Natsumi said, laughing.

"Is this how you two always are?" Inori asked. "If you're friends, why do you treat each other that way?"

"It's just how best friend work," Ayame said. "Have… you never had a best friend?"

"I have friends back home," Inori said. "But we don't joke around like that."

"You didn't answer my question," Ayame said. "Have you never had a best friend?"

Inori was quiet for a moment. "I… I guess not. I have people I like being around, but being a priestess at the temple is mostly a solitary life."

Ayame walked forward and clapped her hand on Inori's shoulder.

"Well you're in luck," she said. "I'll be your best friend!"

Inori's mouth gapped and her cheeks flushed. A few seconds later, however, she found herself smiling.

"Okay… Best friends!"

* * *

Preview:

Haruka: Guys! My first competition is coming up next week!  
Natsumi: No way! Where is it going to be?  
Haruka: At the Ryuuji Performing Arts Center!  
Aki: How much are tickets for this thing?  
Haruka: Um… you don't need tickets to watch.  
Fuyuko: Oh, well what time are you performing?  
Haruka: Two.. o'clock.  
Orianna: Great! We'll be there in the audience cheering you on!  
Haruka: Wait… what?

Next time on _Compass Pretty Cure!: _"Dancing Dragon: Competition Day! Dance Your Heart Out, Haruka!


	14. Dance Your Heart Out, Haruka!

Early morning light filtered through the windows of the practice hall. Haruka stood in front of the mirrored wall in front of her. Her breath was hard and sweat was all over her face. She took a swig from the water bottle she had in her hand, screwed the cap on and tossed it over onto her duffle bag on the wall behind her, landing with a sloshing thud.

"Excellent, Haruka," Haruka's mother said, leaning on the bar attached to the mirrored wall. "But if you're going for at least one perfect mark from the judges, then you need to really refine the details. Make every turn just a bit sharper. Make every leap a bit higher. Really sell the performance with your face. You're just as much an actor as you are a dancer with this piece."

Haruka nodded. "Right," she took a few deep breaths. "I think I lost my spot when I was spotting on those chainés. But that's just an excuse," she added on quickly. "I know. And the judges don't take excuses. They only take perfection."

"Well, I've never said that," Kaede said. "I said they only take what they see." She walked over to Haruka and put her hands on Haruka's shoulders. The two looked at their reflections before them. The mother and daughter looked almost identical – though Kaori's hair was a dark navy – with their hair pulled back in tight buns. Kaori rubbed Haruka's shoulders. "And what I see is pretty darn good, Haruka."

"But it's not enough. Not for a perfect mark," she said. "I've got to train harder. Put the music on one more time?"

Kaori sighed. "One more run through, and then it's breakfast and school for you, young lady. Don't push yourself to exhaustion. That definitely won't get you a perfect mark."

"Yeah, exhaustion got it."

Kaede walked back to the stereo and hit play and Haruka began to move.

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure – Episode 14: Dancing Dragon: Competition Day! Dance Your Heart Out, Haruka!_

* * *

"Your first competition is in a few days, right Haruka?" Aki asked Haruka at lunch later that day. The girls decided it was getting too hot to eat outside as they entered the summer months, so they pushed their tables together and ate in the classroom instead.

"Yeah, this Sunday. My mom helped me choreograph it," she said, taking a bite of brown rice.

"Wait, you choreographed your own competition piece?" Orianna asked.

"Yeah, it's not that uncommon for dancers to do that for competition. My mom said she wanted to help me herself! Otherwise students work with their dance instructors. Sometimes though dance instructors will give students preset choreography. At least that's the way it is with my mom's company."

"Are you nervous?" Natsumi asked.

"No… I don't get that nervous anymore. I've been performing for nine years now. I've found that the days before the competition are the most nerve wracking, but that doesn't happen much for me anymore," Haruka answered.

"Can I have your nerves of steel?" Aki asked. "Competition days for me mean freaking out all day the day before and the day of. Even after I'm done, I'm still nervous as all get out."

"Haha! I so wish I could, Aki," Haruka said. "Though I'm going to need them for the time being." Haruka winked as she said so.

"Dancing is so elegant," Fuyuko said, cupping her cheek with her hand, closing her eyes as she imagined a stage full of dancers. "I wish I could have taken some lessons when I was younger."

"Well if you want, I can teach you!" Haruka said.

"Would you really?" Fuyuko asked.

"Yeah, of course! Anything for a friend! Though it'll have to be during the summer break."

"Back home the only dancing I did was in the ballroom for balls my parents would host. It was standard waltzing. Is that what you do for this competition? Because I've never seen someone waltz solo…" Orianna said.

"No, no," Haruka said. "I'm a contemporary dancer. It's crazily different from a waltz. It can be partnered, like a waltz, but I prefer solo work," Haruka said.

"Do you think maybe we could come and see you practice today?" Natsumi asked. Haruka looked down at her food. She'd never had anyone come in and watch her practice before. At least not anyone that wasn't already a dancer. She took a few more bites of her rice, mulling it over.

"Sure," she said finally. "I don't see why not."

* * *

There was a hushed whisper going on among the denizens of the Machine Empire. Hushed, worried and scared whispers.

"Did you see it?"

"See what?"

"There was this… black woman walking around the camp last night? You didn't see her?"

"Are you sure it was a woman? I thought it was some kind of huge bat."

"I've not seen a huge bat nor a black lady. But sometimes I feel like I'm being followed."

"One time I saw a pair of glowing, red eyes. What could it be? Are they all related or something?"

"What are you talking about?" Ophelia snapped at the group in front of her. "I can't believe what I'm hearing right now. You're all quivering in your boots over some specter? Especially when none of you can seem to agree on what it looks like?" Ophelia rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the tablet in her hands.

The Construction of Platania's city was just barely over half way finished at this point. The Mother Ship's repair ate into the time the Empire had. But at least the ceiling was finished. However, buildings from the old city were still being torn down. And the eyesore that was the towering Temple of Gold still managed to protect itself with the mysterious barrier that withstood everything the Empire threw at it.

"Get back to work," she said, eyes glued to her tablet. "Black woman. Huge bat. Give me a break," she muttered. "Noire. I need you."

After a few seconds and a puff of smoke later, Noire stood by Ophelia's side. "Yes Ophelia?"

Ophelia turned to her partner and her expression softened a little. "Let's get a head start on Pretty Cure today. I don't want to have to sit through another lecture again and I'm otherwise busy at the moment. Can you try and get the Princess this next time? Make sure you prepare accordingly."

Noire smirked as she spoke. "With pleasure." And with that, the Black General disappeared.

* * *

After school, the girls managed to grab Ayame and Inori from the Shrine and met at the Higashi Dance Company. It was just on the boarder of Shizenshima Central and Shizenshima East.

"I expected it to be bigger," Aki said, staring up at the three story white building before them.

"Well, there was a lot of legal jargon that I didn't understand about why this chapter of the Company had to be smaller than what mom originally wanted, but it's still a decent size," Haruka said.

"I'm still kind of in awe of the fact that your mom has built ten other buildings that are bigger than this all over Japan," Ayame said. "I mean, even while I was abroad, I still found time to see some of your shows. Your mom has built quite an empire."

"Ha, well thanks. She certainly worked hard. Now are we going to just sit here and marvel at what my mom has created or can I show you what _I_ created?" Haruka said.

* * *

The girls all sat along the wall opposite the mirrored wall. Haruka had changed into her rehearsal clothing – just a leotard over a pair of leggings – and had pulled her hair back in into a bun. She stretched for a few minutes and did a few warm up techniques.

"Okay, get the song ready, Aki," she said. Aki pulled out Haruka's MP3 player and hooked it up to the speaker while Haruka took her place in the center of the room.

"Never heard of 'Clair de Lune' before…" Aki muttered as she pressed play.

Soft piano began to echo through the hall and instantly Haruka began to move. After standing still and swaying for a moment, she took a few sweeping steps before a series of small leaps. Haruka let the music move her body. Her arms didn't feel like her arms anymore. They just felt like pure movement, exploring the air around her in grand, gliding motions. Her feet knew exactly where to go as she tiptoed, leapt and landed across the room.

At one point, Haruka fell to the floor in a dramatic lunge and went straight into a roll. On her back, she swung her right leg up from her left and slowly made an arc, her left leg following the trail left by her right. She rolled over on to her stomach and took two, heavy steps to get up. When she looked up at her friends watching her in awe, Haruka felt her knees buckle and toppled to the floor.

"Haruka!" The girls cried in unison. The scrambled to their feet and rushed over to the fallen dancer.

"I'm fine," Haruka said curtly, extending her hand out to keep the group at bay. "I'm fine," she repeated. "I… I'm not sure what just happened there. I've never had a problem with that spot in the choreography before."

"What do you think happened then?" Natsumi asked. Haruka didn't answer. She wasn't sure how to answer. She had given the dance a perfect run that morning. What had changed? She looked up at her group of friends.

"Aki, go put the music back to start. I want to try again," she said. Haruka stood and went back to her starting place while the girls went back to the wall. Aki fixed the song and hit play once more. And Haruka began to move.

Only a few seconds in to the routine did Haruka feel the gaze of her peers and suddenly, she found herself on the floor again in an unplanned tumble.

"What the hell?" Haruka grunted, teeth grit as she punched the floor.

"Haruka, are you sure you're okay?" Fuyuko asked.

"You didn't even get to the place where you stopped before," Orianna pointed out.

"I guess," she started. "I guess… I got nervous," she said simply. "Which is… weird."

"I thought you said you don't get nervous," Aki said.

"Normally I don't," Haruka said, standing up to be eye level with her friends. "But like I also said this morning, I don't normally show my routines to friends. And I'm hardly nervous during the actual competition because I can't see the judges or the audience, if there is one, from the stage."

"So the problem is us," Ayame said, placing a fist in her open palm. "You're not used to an audience and suddenly you're a bit self conscious."

Haruka stared at Ayame, processing her words. "That's… no... that's not… no."

"Just like that, Haruka's got a case of stage fright," Natsumi teased.

"I-I do not!" Haruka huffed, cheeks red. "I'm just… suddenly off my game!"

"Aw come on," Ayame said, clapping Haruka on the back. "It happens to everyone. No need to be embarrassed." Haruka crossed her arms, furrowing her brows.

"I'm _not _nervous. I don't get nervous," she insisted fiercely. "Aki. Music. One more time."

"Haruka, it's okay," Aki said. "Nobody can be perfect all the time. And getting nervous in a new situation for you is normal. You're human. Which I finally have some proof of," Aki said, muttering the last part.

"What?" Haruka said.

"Nothing!" Aki said quickly.

"The point is," Inori said, piping up finally. "It's natural for this to happen. And you shouldn't feel bad for it."

"Well I can't accept that!" Haruka snapped, the atmosphere changing instantly. "I _have_ to be perfect. I _need_ to get at least _one_ perfect score from the judges on Sunday. They don't take _anything_ less than perfect."

"Haruka, I'm sure that's not true," Fuyuko said.

"Whatever!" Haruka stormed over to her duffle bag, snatching it up. "I'm going to go practice by myself. I'll see you all tomorrow." She briskly walked over to the speaker and her MP3 player, snatching that up as well before flinging the door open and flying out of the room.

"Whoa..." Aki said. "And I thought I put too much pressure on myself." None of the other girls said anything.

* * *

An hour passed. Haruka leaned against the wall opposite to the mirrored wall. She was breathing hard and sweat was running down her face. She had finally managed to get through the routine all the way through without messing up. She closed her eyes and silently wished she hadn't blown up at her friends the way she did. It wasn't their fault that she messed up. It was true; the girls being there made her feel a new kind of nervous.

She hefted herself away from the wall and was gathering her things when she heard a knock – a singular, sharp knock – on the door.

"Come on in mom," Haruka said. Kaede entered the room and smiled. She was wearing a tracksuit, which told Haruka she had just finished one of her rare master classes.

"I know you're not about to pack up and leave without doing your cool down stretches," she said, walking over to her daughter. "Here, I'll do them with you."

"Yeah, sure," Haruka said. The two sat down opposite of each other and connected their feet and began to stretch.

"What's on your mind, honey?" Kaede asked. "You look a little distracted."

"I uh," Haruka started. "I invited my friends to come and watch me rehearse."

"Oh that's wonderful, Haruka!" Kaede said as she leaned forward and grabbed her daughter's own stretched out hands. The two held that for thirty seconds before letting go. "Where are they now though?"

"Probably home. I ended up yelling at them," Haruka said. The two spread out their legs in a wide v shape and leaned forward again. "I kept messing up and I didn't want them to see me keep messing up."

"You were messing up?" Kaede asked, a small quiver of surprise in her voice. "That doesn't sound like you."

Haruka closed her legs and got up. "Yeah, it doesn't sound like me, you're absolutely right."

"So what was the problem?" Kaede asked, standing up herself. "Were they distracting you?"

"No… Just having them here threw me off my game… I didn't realize having them there would do that." The two stood up and did some standing stretches. "They said it was because I didn't normally rehearse or perform for friends or anyone I'm close to, besides you."

"Well, that does make sense. You do tend to isolate yourself before competition. Unless I'm helping you choreograph, I don't get to see your performance until competition day," Kaede said, crossing her right arm in front of her chest and holding it there with her left.

"You see me compete? I thought headmistresses weren't allowed-"

"Honey, please," Kaede said, giving a small chuckle. "I don't watch you compete as my student." She dropped her arm and closed the gap between them. She put her hands on Haruka's shoulders. "I go into that auditorium to watch _my daughter_." She rubbed Haruka's shoulders, smiling. "You've been dancing in front of me for years, whether you knew it or not. You can do it for these girls if they mean just as much to you. And they won't judge you, mistakes or no mistakes. Don't put too much pressure on yourself." She paused. "And if I've ever given you the impression that you need to be perfect all the time, then I want you to know that I'm sorry."

"Thanks mom," Haruka said, hugging her mother. "I'll get used to performing in front of them one day."

"Sounds like you're on that road, for sure. In fact," Kaede said, letting go of Haruka and looked at her eye to eye. "Why not invite them to watch you? If you feel comfortable with that, of course."

Haruka felt her face flush. "Y-yeah… I don't see why not."

* * *

"Are you sure you want us there?" Orianna asked at lunch the next day. "I mean I'd love to go see a dancing competition, but if we're going to cause you to mess up…" Orianna's voice trailed off.

"No, I know. I don't want you guys to feel bad about coming, so that's why I'm saying I want you there. Shizenshima Island is actually hosting the first competition of the season thanks to my mom. It'll be at the Ryuuji Performing Arts Center in Shizenshima Central. It starts early and I don't have my time yet, but when I do, I'll let you girls know," Haruka said. "Besides… I felt bad after yesterday and… I'd like to apologize… So, I'd really appreciate it if you could come."

"It's okay, Haruka! We can't wait to go and support you!" Natsumi said. "I've never been to a dance competition before!"

"Me neither," Aki and Fuyuko said in unison.

"And make sure you tell Ayame I want her there, too, Natsumi," Haruka said. "I've already told Inori, too. She seemed pretty excited when I told her I wanted her there." The girls all fell quiet at that.

"Have you spoken to her at all?" Haruka asked Orianna. The Princess looked up, confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked, suspicion in her tone.

"Well I just mean about being in an unfamiliar world and how to cope with it all," Haruka said simply. She was aware of Orianna's tone, but she didn't press. If the Princess was hiding something from them, she figured Orianna would want to tell them on her own terms.

"Oh… N-no. In fact I don't really talk to her all that much, actually. I think you're the only one that really talks to her. Definitely more than us," Orianna said.

"Yeah," Aki chimed in. "She's always quiet. So much so that even I notice it."

"She's observant though. I've noticed that much," Fuyuko said. "She may not say much but I can tell she listens intently to us."

"She's such a sweet person if not a little mysterious," Natsumi said. "Kind of makes me wish she'd end up being that fifth member of ours."

"Unfortunately we don't get to choose that," Orianna said somberly. The conversation again lulled. The sharp bell sound of Haruka's phone going off broke the silence between the five girls. Haruka grabbed her phone from her pocket and checked the message she received.

"Okay," she said. "That was my mom. She just said that my time for Sunday is 2:00. So be there an hour early!"

* * *

That night, Ophelia was patrolling the perimeter of the makeshift encampment. It had been a quiet couple of hours for the Orange General when she heard a slow, heavy, and dragging noise near by.

"Who's there?" she barked, spinning around. Nothing could be seen except the half done buildings on the horizon. Other than that, Ophelia was standing in a flat, open area of the encampment. "Don't let those fools get into your head, Ophelia," she muttered, turning around to continue walking.

The noise sounded once again, and this time Ophelia felt like she was being watched. The General slowly turned around. Still, she saw nothing behind her. She was almost back to the main tent. She turned back around and froze in her spot. The main tent was still a little over a hundred yards away, and there was something unfamiliar standing in front of it. The black figure was hunched over, and clearly humanoid. But it had boney, bat wings sticking out from it's back.

It took a few sluggish steps forward. Ophelia, able to move again, charged for the monster. She was just a few yards away when it noticed her. It snapped its head in Ophelia's direction and once again, she stopped moving.

"Whatever you are, leave!" The Orange General shouted. The monster didn't have a visible mouth, but by the way the eyes became thin, lines she could only guess it was smiling. It brought up a boney index finger, as if to say "shh" and in an instant, the monster disappeared.

"Say nothing," Platania's voice echoed.

* * *

Sunday had finally rolled around. Haruka and her mother sat in the taxi they had called for as they headed to the Performing Arts Center.

"An almost silly question," Kaede said after a few moments of silence. "But are you nervous?" Haruka didn't say anything right away. She took a deep breath.

"For the first time," she said. "Yeah… I feel a little bit nervous." She looked out the window, watching the buildings pass them by. And she smiled. "But a good nervous."

* * *

Once inside, Haruka found the changing rooms and changed quickly into her performance outfit, and after that, she found her way into the rehearsal room. Haruka always had a routine for competition days. While everyone was marking through their choreography, Haruka did nothing but warm up moves and stretches. She never marked through or even full out danced her routine but once before she actually performed it.

She was that confident in herself.

And today was no different, despite the fact that she admitted to being nervous to her mother. Because she wasn't worried about her dance anymore, or even getting a perfect score from the judges. She just wanted to give her friends – her _real_ friends – a performance worth watching.

One o'clock rolled around and Haruka made her way to the front lobby of the building. Right on time, Natsumi, Aki, Fuyko, Orianna, Inori and Ayame were all huddled together, looking around to see Haruka.

"Guys!" Haruka exclaimed, rising up to her tiptoes and waving. "I'm over here!" The girls found her and made their way through the surprising amount of people that also arrived for the competition.

"Hey! Wow, you look great in that outfit!" Orianna said once the girls huddled around Haruka.

"Oh, thanks! You like it?" Haruka did a little twirl, her semi-sheer skirt billowing outward like a blooming flower as she did so.

"It's gorgeous!" Fuyuko said.

"Simple but elegant," Aki said.

"You are going to do amazingly!" Ayame pulled out a camera from the small bag slung over her shoulder. "And I'll record it if I can!"

"Just don't use the flash," Haruka said. She noticed her cheeks began to burn a little. She hadn't stopped smiling since she saw her friends. Her nervous energy began to turn into excitement. "You all go get some snacks or find a seat in the auditorium. I've got to go do a run through. And then I'll be on the stage!"

"Can we come with you?" Inori asked.

"Sadly, no," Haruka said. "Only competitors and headmistresses or headmasters are allowed in the rehearsal space. But don't worry, this hour before my time will fly by."

* * *

A little while later, Noire walked through the lobby of the performing arts building, a somewhat impressed look on her face.

"If only humans could make everything look so elegant and modern like this." She scanned the floor and saw many boys and girls holding bouquets of flowers. The Black General rolled here eyes. "Yuck," she muttered. "As much as I'd love to preserve this beautiful building," Noire eyed the red carpet on the ground and the yellow-y beige walls of the lobby. "It needs to go."

She pulled out a sheet of Industrialite meatal.

"What should we make today?" She let her fingers do the work and when she finished, she held up a menacing looking, even as a miniature, rhino. "A perfect monster to bulldoze this place," she said with a small giggle.

* * *

Haruka looked at the clock.

"Thirty minutes left," she said. She had just finished her run through and was back to stretching and doing warm up moves in the wings of the stage. Haruka always liked to watch her competition or fellow dance members for inspiration and admiration. One girl had just finished up a modern jazz routine. The audience clapped and some even cheered. It went on for a minute or two before the claps and cheers transformed into shrieks of terror as the sound of something enormous crashed through a wall. The girl on the stage looked straight ahead, horrified before running towards Haruka in the wings.

"What's going on out there?" Haruka demanded.

"There's some kind of monster that just burst into the auditorium!" The girl ran off as Haruka ran out on to the stage. Sure enough, an Industrialite was rampaging through the auditorium as people scrambled to exits.

"Haruka!" Natsumi cried. She, Fuyuko and Aki raced up to the stage. "We need to transform."

"Right," Haruka said, looking around for a private place to transform. "Stage right." Haruka pointed to the empty wing to the girls' right. "No one is over there."

Once hidden the girls readied their Compasses.

**"****Pretty Cure! Direction Change!"**

**"****The Fiery Southern Bird! Cure Cinder!"**

**"****The Steely Western Tiger! Cure Chrome!"**

**"****The Calm Northern Tortoise! Cure Stream!"**

**"****The Elegant Eastern Dragon!" Cure Willow!"**

**"****Leading hearts on the path to justice! Compass Pretty Cure!"**

"This would happen right before I performed," Willow growled. "Let's make quick work of this one." The other three Cures nodded and charged for the rhino.

* * *

Orianna, Ayame and Inori had managed to exit the auditorium without being harmed by any debris or the Industrialite itself. Orianna looked back to the door they had just exited and frowned.

"Hey," Ayame said, putting her hand on Orianna's shoulder. "They'll be fine. They can take care of that thing." Orianna looked at the girl's smiling face and nodded slightly.

"Ayame-san," Inori said. "Get the Princess to safety. I have the Golden Compass still. They need to use it." Ayame nodded and Inori turned back around and entered the auditorium again.

"Let's go." Ayame and Orianna took a few steps before Noire appeared in front of them.

"Not so fast you two." Noire had a malicious smirk on her face. Ayame pushed herself in front of Orianna, arms extended.

"You're not getting your hands on her!"

"Oh, but today I think I am," Noire said. She disappeared in her signature puff of black smoke, only this time, the smoke lingered. It expanded and engulfed Ayame. The priestess began to sway, her vision blurring. Before she knew it, Orianna was holding an unconscious Ayame.

"Ayame! Wake up!" She shook the girl, but Ayame did not open her eyes.

"You're mine, Princess!" Noire snatched Orianna's wrist and pulled the Princess back.

"No! Let go of me!" Orianna began to fidget and wriggle, trying to free her wrist from Noire's grasp.

"Queen Platania will finally absorb the Golden One's power and destroy all things of nature!" Noire was giggling madly.

"I said LET GO!"

Orianna's body glowed with a fierce golden light. Noire instantly let the Princess go, holding her now burned hand. She looked at Orianna with horror.

"How…" She couldn't get a few words out without wincing in pain. "I'll get you for this Princess," Norie said through clenched teeth, disappearing instantly.

* * *

**"****Pretty Cure! Stream Wall!"**

Stream's water wall burst up from the ground, protecting them from another rampage from the rhino.

"This one is a bit tougher than Noire's other Industrialites," Cinder said, vermillion flames swallowing her body. **"Cinder Rocket!"** The flaming Cure flew towards the Industrialite, punching the monster in it side, causing a crater to form where she punched.

"That just means it'll fall even harder!" Chrome shouted. **"Chrome Chains!"** Chrome's silver chains snaked their way around the floor, circling themselves around the feet of the rhino. Once they had done so, the white Cure pulled her chains taught, and the monster toppled to its side.

But the chains weren't strong enough. Even down, the rhino kicked and writhed, breaking the chains as if they were thread.

"Just stay down!" Willow yelled. **"Willow Leaf Storm!"** Willow fired her barrage of teal leaves at the monster. They exploded into teal clouds of smoke once they made contact. The monster was beginning to show signs of wearing down.

"Willow!" Inori exclaimed. "The Compass!" She threw the compass towards the battle and once in the air, the compass came to life and landed in Willow's open hand. Willow's body glowed with teal energy, the compass with gold.

**"****Pretty Cure! Golden Willow Overgrowth!"**

Enormous golden roots burst forth from the ground around the rhino, wrapping themselves around it completely in a tight cocoon of roots. A second later, the roots burst into a golden explosion and when the smoke cleared, the rhino figurine shattered into dust. The Eastern section on the Compass face lit up with teal light.

* * *

"Taking the stage is contestant 158, Higashi Haruka, from Shizenshima Central High School and the Higashi Dance Company. She will perform a contemporary routine to Debussy's 'Clair de Lune.'"

The announcer left the stage as Haruka took center stage. The soft piano music sounded throughout the restored auditorium. Haruka took a deep breath as she began to tell her story.

She started with her arms crossed in front of her chest, grabbing her shoulders, a somber expression on her face. She swayed delicately, as if she were being gently pushed around by a nonexistent wind. Her face expressed a true loneliness that she knew all too well. She took her first grand, sweeping step and let her arms down. She took big, gliding steps, letting her arms loosely follow. She reached the edge of the stage, rising up on her tiptoes, making her whole body breathe and swell with the music. And a split second later she was moving backwards, her top half bent over, like she was being pulled back by the loneliness.

As she danced, Haruka let her worries and problems melt away with each swing of her leg, each leap in the air, each spin she made. She put power and determination in each stomp, in each roll across the stage. She expressed emotions effortlessly on her face; like each new and different one was a mask she picked up and put on. She let the music flow through her body.

The climax of the dance was coming up. Haruka was towards the back of the stage. She took a deep breath as best she could – she was breathing hard at this point – and ran as delicately as she could, eventually hopping from one foot to the other. She then bent her knees and pushed off the floor, the power propelling her up as she extended her left leg back and her right forward, but still bent.

And she landed without a problem. She ended the dance like she had begun it, arms crossed in front of her chest, and grabbing her shoulders. But this time she had a smile.

There was a small shower of applause as Haruka opened her eyes and took a bow. The announcer told her to wait a moment so the judges could make their comments on their sheets. A few minutes later she was let go.

"Your scores will be posted in the lobby in about fifteen minutes," the announcer whispered to her.

* * *

"I can't do it. Someone else look for me."

Natsumi walked up to the scoreboard that had just been updated by a runner.

"What's the highest a judge can give out?" she asked.

"There are five judges and each judge can give out a maximum of five points. They also work with a half number system. An all around perfect score is, obviously, a 25.0."

"Well, it says here you made a 22.0," Natsumi said. Haruka said nothing, but walked up to Natsumi and looked at her score. Her eyes were wide and shining. "Individual scores are 4.5, 4.0, 4.0, 4.5 and… 5.0!"

"Haruka! You did it! You got a perfect score!" Orianna exclaimed hugging the dancer. Everyone else joined in as Haruka stared, mouth gaping at her score.

"I… I can't believe… For the first competition even…" Haruka blinked her tears away. "You know, it's funny… I wasn't even thinking about a perfect score… I couldn't have done it without you guys though."

"Really?" Aki asked.

"Well yeah… You guys were the ones that inspired me to make that piece. It was a story about friendship."

Haruka's mother had made her way to the lobby and when she took a look at Haruka's score, she gave a small scream and joined the group hug, saying how proud she was of her daughter.

Inori was the only one not hugging Haruka, but she stood next to the group, a smile on her face.

"A story about friendship," she said softly. "How truly beautiful."

* * *

Preview:

Aki: So… the Art Club is having a fundraiser.

Fuyuko: Oh fun! What is it? A bake sale? I can help you if you want.

Aki: No… It's an auction actually.

Haruka: I've been to a real art auction before.

Natsumi: What's your entry for the auction?

Aki: …Uh… I don't know yet…

Next time on _Compass Pretty Cure!_: "Careful Tiger! Up for Auction! Aki's Most Precious Art!"


	15. Up For Auction! Aki's Most Precious Art!

Aki twiddled her pencil around, held by her index finger and thumb. The blank paper staring back at her mocked her. Laughing at her for not being able to coming up with something to draw. Aki grunted angrily and flipped the sheet of paper over as Tatsuki, the Art Club president, stood up.

"Remember everyone," he said. "This is the final piece of art you'll make before the summer break in a couple weeks. And we need to make as much money as we can so that when we come back for the fall semester, we have plenty of funds to buy some new materials. So keep up the good work!"

"Yeah!" The whole club, except Aki, shouted. Tatsuki walked around the room, inspecting everyone's drawings when finally he came to Aki. She felt him walk up to her and she huddled over her blank paper, nerves building.

"Whatcha got, Nishi-san?" he asked. "You're one of our best artists, so I bet we'll get some of the most money for your submission."

Why did he have to say that?

"Uh," Aki said, leaning back up and turning to Tatsuki. "Um…"

"Have you not drawn anything yet?" he asked looking at the blank sheet. Aki felt her cheeks flush. She looked up at his concerned, brown eyes.

"Uuuuuhhhh…. No, of course I have!" She managed to get out. "I'm just… keeping it a surprise until the auction," she said, patting the sheet of paper like she had the art face down.

"Oh, okay. Well I can't wait to see it then!" He seemed to have bought it. He smiled at Aki and moved on to the next member.

"Why did I have to say that?" she muttered.

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure – Episode 15: Careful Tiger: Up for Auction! Aki's Most Precious Art!_

* * *

It was strange.

Noire felt the cold, hard steel behind her as she leaned on one of the walls in the Control Room. She had been staring at her left hand, the hand she used to grab the Princess the other day, for a while now. She ignored Blanc's baritone voice as he spoke to the underlings below her, instead hearing something entirely different. It was mostly new. She didn't know what the sound was, but it sounded, for lack of a better word, natural.

And she didn't hate it.

The burns that the Princess's golden light left healed almost instantaneously when she returned to the Valley. And ever since then, she would hear the previously unfamiliar swishing noise when she looked at her hand. It was wind. Noire would remember every time she experienced it on her face when she would go fight Pretty Cure on the island. A question had been on her mind ever since then.

"Ophelia," she said, looking up, the sound dying down immediately.

"Yes dear?"

"This might be a strange question to ask, but…" Noire's voice trailed off. Ophelia looked up from the tablet she was working on.

"What is it?"

"Well," Noire said, pausing. She was trying to find the right words. "Well, I just… Why are we doing this?"

Ophelia scrunched her face up in confusion, sending pang of regret through Noire. She was suddenly aware of a few beads of sweat falling down the back of her neck.

"Doing what?"

"This." Noire gestured to the control room around her. "I've been thinking a lot lately and… I guess I've just finally realized I don't have a reason to do this other than that I get to be with you."

"We're doing this because it's what Queen Platania wants. Everyone here wants what she wants: for Nature to be destroyed," Ophelia said, looking at the lone pillar far across from them.

"What is your reason for doing this though?" Noire asked, genuinely curious. "You've never told me. Sure, you want what Queen Platania wants, but she's been keeping secrets from us and I know you don't trust her fully at this point. So, why?"

Ophelia shut off her tablet and put her hands behind her back. Noire watched Ophelia's face turn from business to sadness.

"I guess you could say I have a vendetta against Nature."

* * *

The warm scent of cinnamon rolls baking wafted through the apartment as Aki chewed on the tip of her fingernail, her pencil doing its now regular dance. She would make swipes just above the paper, but never letting the lead touch the paper. Eventually, she dropped her pencil and leaned back, running her fingers through her hair.

"Gaaaah," she groaned. "Why can't I think of anything to draw?"

"What's the problem?" Fuyuko said, poking her head out of the kitchen to check on Aki at the dinner table.

"I can't draw anything!" She said, lightly clutching her bangs.

"Art block?" Fuyuko asked, her voice drifting out of the kitchen now that she went back to her baking.

"Something like that," Aki said. "The Art Club is having a little auction in a few days and everyone needs to provide a piece for it. And it needs to be a good one so that people will want to buy it. And we need people to buy our submissions because this'll be the last chance for us to get some extra money before the summer break."

"Right," Fuyuko said to show she was listening.

"But I can't think of anything? And Tatsuki-san said this morning that he was counting on me to make one of the best pieces." Aki pulled the hood on her cardigan over her eyes.

The egg timer buzzed wildly from inside the kitchen and the groan of the semi old oven door opening could be heard. The smell of cinnamon intensified as Fuyuko pulled them out. She came out of the kitchen, dusting her hands on her apron, and took a seat next to Aki.

"That puts a bit of pressure on you, huh? Are you going to hold up okay?"

Aki sighed. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll come up with something. Though I'm open for any and all suggestions."

"What if you tried drawing something that me or the other girls do? We can act as your models! Oh, oh, oh! You can draw me mixing together some cake batter! Or you draw Haruka practicing! Or Natsumi swimming or Orianna just… being Orianna."

Aki smiled, throwing her hood off. She appreciated the way her cousin always managed to come up with an idea and latch on to it immediately. And she had to admit; it was a pretty good idea.

"Okay, yeah! That's great, Fuyu-nee! Tomorrow, I'll meet you in the Home Ec. room and I'll see what I can come up with!"

* * *

Noire looked at Ophelia with concern.

"What happened?"

Ophelia closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, leaning next to Noire on the wall.

"I remember it like it was yesterday," she said, her mind in another, far off place. "When I was young and before I joined the Machine Empire, I actually used to live in a small village near the base of the Northern Mountain, or as everyone used to call it, the Mountain of Rain." She said the mountain's epithet with disgust. Ophelia could still feel the humid air of the village in the summer and the cold, wet air of the winter, even now, years after she left her home. "True to its name, the it rained on the mountain and the surrounding areas and we were lucky to get a few days in a row without some kind of rain, be it light or hard. There was one month however, where it rained every single day. It rained like it was never going to rain again…"

Ophelia stopped speaking for a moment. Noire had taken hold of her hand, and she appreciated the light squeeze of empathy her girlfriend gave her. "No one was sure why it was raining so much. It wasn't even the wettest month of the year. But it kept raining, and raining and raining. Until one day half of the town was taken out by a mudslide. You think we would have been prepared for it. You think we would have expected it. And maybe some people did, but nothing was done. Maybe they thought it would stop raining the next day, or they'd deal with it later… People perished. And those that survived the mud were later drowned in a flood hours later.

"I was either lucky or unlucky enough to have been running errands on high grounds further north of the mountain. When I came home, if I could even call it that after the disasters, everything was gone. My family, my home, my village. Just… gone, like it never even existed." Ophelia gave a bitter laugh. "It was only after the chaos and the tragedy were over that the rain finally stopped. From that day, I swore to make sure it would never happen again. From that day on, I hated the Mountain of Rain and that idiotic tortoise that presides over it."

Ophelia looked into Noire's dark eyes, which were shining with tears. Her own eyes were burning with a passionate hatred. She squeezed Noire's hand hard, feeling her warmth. "I will _never_ let that happen again."

* * *

The next day, after the final bell, Aki met with Fuyuko in the Home Ec. classroom.

"Lucky that you had an off day for the Sweet's Club," Aki said, setting up her easel. "I just told Tatsuki-san that I was going draw somewhere else."

"What should you have me do?" Fuyuko said, as Orianna, Natsumi and Haruka entered the room. "Oh! And I hope you don't mind, but I told the others about this as well."

Aki looked back at her three friends, a sudden chill ran up her spine as she recalled the last time Orianna had inspected one of her art projects. Orianna seemed to notice the tense expression on Aki's face and smiled softly.

"I'll be at a safe distance," she said, her cheeks tinged pink.

"Wait, why?" Haruka asked.

"Don't ask," the other four girls said in unison.

"Is it okay that I asked them to join us?" Fuyuko asked. Aki normally didn't care for people to watch her draw. But… today felt different. She felt comfortable with the girls around her. She took a few nervous, shaky breaths but she nodded, picking up her pencil.

"Okay, well I'll just get to work then?"

"Yeah, I'll tell you to stop when I've found the image I want." Aki fell silent, watching Fuyuko go to work. She never took her eyes off of Fuyuko. The way her hands picked up ingredients, the way she bent down to eye the side of the measuring cup to make sure she measured out the _exact_ amount of oil, the way she swiped her finger across the half cup measuring cup to make sure she had _exactly_ half a cup of sugar. She saw Fuyuko's mouth move. Her cousin was obviously chatting with the other girls, but Aki was so focused on finding her image, she wasn't keeping up with the conversation.

"Stop!" Aki said, satisfied with what she was seeing. Fuyuko froze where she was, a whisk in her right hand, and her left holding the mixing bowl steady as she whisked.

"You sure this is what you want?" Fuyuko asked, but she didn't get a response. Instead, she was met with the light sound of the pencil scratching the paper as Aki sketched, answering her question that way. Fuyuko guessed ten minutes had passed when Aki finally looked up from her paper.

"Okay, you can move again. I've got the base… down…" Aki's voice trailed off and her lips curled downward in a frown.

"What's the matter?" Natsumi asked. She made sure to keep her distance from the artist, not wanting to feel like a bother by hanging over her shoulder.

"Not happy," Aki said gruffly. She sighed deeply and took the sketch paper down from the easel. "Sorry I made you pose like that for so long, Fuyu-nee," she said.

"It's not a problem! It's a good thing I actually need to bake this cake."

"I'm going to go find a change of scenery. Orianna," Aki said, suddenly turning to the Princess. "You're coming with me."

"M-me?" Orianna asked, pointing a limp finger at her face.

* * *

"What does that mean, just act naturally?" Orianna asked. Scissors snipped and pins were pinned as the Fashion Club worked on some pieces of practice clothing.

"Just… act naturally!" Aki huffed from behind her easel. "I'll tell you when I see what I want to draw."

"I don't even have to be here today," Orianna mumbled, picking up a pair of scissors. "What does act naturally even mean, honestly?" Eventually Orianna forgot about Aki sketching as she put together a blouse she had been working on. It was only when Aki sighed and stood up that she remembered she was an artistic model.

"No," Aki said. "I don't like what I see here at all."

"What?! How could anything I do be uninspiring?" Orianna scoffed. "Oh well… I guess if you're not inspired no use in trying to force it out." Orianna eyed her blouse. "This actually came out well," she said to no one in particular.

* * *

After determining very quickly that watching Natsumi try to swim would not lead to a drawing, Aki found herself sitting on the cold hardwood of the rehearsal room at the Higashi Dance Company.

"So you just want me to… dance?" Haruka asked, flipping her hair around as she wrapped an elastic band around it. Aki didn't answer but nodded. She couldn't bring her easel with her off campus, so Aki had to improvise in an uncomfortable position and a less than savory vantage point to watch Haruka dance.

Haruka did her warm up stretches and her warm up moves before finally getting into some choreography. Aki again watched intently, her eyes locked on to Haruka's moving body.

"Stop!" Aki blurted out, causing Haruka to stumble slightly. She had just reached an arabesque pose, standing on one leg while the other was stretched out behind her. Her left arm was stretched out in front of her while her right was behind her. "That's perfect!" Aki said, beginning to sketch furiously.

"You… you want me to stay like this? For how long?" Haruka's voice was slightly strained. It wasn't anything she couldn't handle (part of her training required her to hold this position for a few moments while she was learning it), but she was already a bit winded from having been dancing.

"Won't be long," Aki said shortly, not looking up from her paper. Minutes passed and Haruka began to feel the burn in her thighs and her biceps and the occasional twitch of exhaustion in those muscles.

"Almost done?" she asked shakily. Whether or not Aki heard the question or just decided to not answer, Haruka didn't know. But when she was met with silence, she rolled here eyes. She posed for a minute or two more before finally breaking the pose.

"Hey! I wasn't done sketching!" Aki protested.

"Well I'm getting tired of holding an arabesque and I need to keep practicing! So I'm sorry but if you can't finish what you've already drawn, then I guess you'll need to find something else to draw."

"Yeah… Okay…" Aki said, sighing. Haruka had a point – no matter how blunt she was being – and what she had been sketching she wasn't happy with anyway. "I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

Aki slumped against the chair she was sitting at, pulling her cardigan hood over her eyes. The fresh baked, buttery scent of scones filled Beachside Café, but left Aki uninspired and hungry. She looked at the rough sketches that she had composed earlier. They weren't bad. In fact they would look great with different mediums (charcoal for Fuyu-nee and oil pastels for Haruka) but they didn't have the potential of being one of the best pieces she could submit for the auction.

The bell clinked as more people came into the shop. Out of habit, Aki looked up to see who had just entered. To her delight it was Ayame and Inori.

"Oh, hey!" she said, pulling her hood off. "You two on a break or something?"

"Aki, hey!" Ayame said, walking over and sitting down next to her. "Yeah, something like that." She eyed Aki's sketches. "Whoa, these are really good! Did you draw them?"

"Yeah," Aki said halfheartedly.

"Why the long face?" Inori asked.

"My art club is having an auction for a fundraiser before the summer. I need to submit something for it. And the president told me he was counting on me to submit something really good that people would want to bid lots of money on."

"That's really what he said?" Ayame asked.

"No…" Aki admitted. "He just said he bets that I'll get some of the highest bids for mine, but that's basically the same thing."

"Well if that's the case," Ayame said, tapping her finger on her chin, looking up at the lazy ceiling fans. "If these drawings don't work, what can you do?"

"I don't know. I'm no good at abstract. I've recently taken up sculpting, but that would take too long. I really enjoy still art, but nothing I've been drawing today has been particularly inspiring."

The inside of the café was drowned with a warm orange light as the sun began to set. The three girls sat in silence. Aki rested her chin on her arms, hands resting on her shoulders. Ayame was still looking at the ceiling fans and Inori shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with the quiet.

"I've got it!" Ayame said, breaking the silence. "Okay so you like still life, but you haven't wanted to draw anything you've seen. So find something you want to draw. Draw something important to you. Oh! Even better," Ayame paused. "Draw something that's precious to you."

"Something… precious…" Aki repeated slowly. A new inspiration filled Aki. She took in a deep breath, her frown curling upwards into a smile. "Something precious to me! Ayame! That's perfect. I think I know exactly what I want to draw!"

* * *

That night, Aki worked furiously. Ayame and Inori were kind enough to model for her, and with the rough sketches down, Aki worked into the wee hours of the morning getting her final lines down. She had finished inking when she lifted the sheet of paper up and stared at it.

"No… Not ink. Watercolor. Yeah… Watercolor."

She kept the image in front of her while she redrew it making sure to use pencil only. Watercolor, to Aki, worked best when you couldn't see the original sketch lines. The sudden blare of an alarm (she had to make sure she set an alarm to go to sleep, as well as wake up on nights like this) caused Aki to jump. She turned to her clock and saw that it read 3:00AM.

"Oh crap. I need to sleep," she muttered. She took a glance down at her drawing, put in a few more lines before looking up at it and smiling. "Yeah, this is perfect."

* * *

The light panels on the ceiling began to gradually get brighter. The time for sleep was over and work needed to resume. Most everyone was waking up and getting ready for the day. Though Noire hadn't slept a wink. She looked out her small, circular window in her quarters. She could see most of the construction from her view. The light wasn't completely on, but it made everything shine and glow with a halo of light.

"What is my reason?" Noire asked. She looked down at her hand again and the wind started up. It had to be blowing through something. She didn't know what, but the more she listened to the wind, the more conflicted she felt. She clutched her shirt just over her heart. "Why am I doing this?" There was a knock at Noire's door and the wind faded away. "Coming."

Noire left her room and made her way to the control room. Ophelia was overseeing the underlings at their computers from the awning above the computer pit. Nervous beads of sweat fell down Noire's face, for seeing Ophelia only made her feel more conflicted.

"Good you're here," Ophelia said, not looking up from her tablet. She tapped it a few times before Noire saw it read "Industrialite Deployed." "Time to get to work."

* * *

"Wow, Nishi-san!" Tatsuki said, inspecting her drawing. "I mean, you still need to color it, but wow this looks fantastic! What medium do you plan on using?"

"Watercolor. I did just ink last night before I decided watercolor would look better. So it's a good thing I had some watercolor paper lying around my room, otherwise I'd be even more behind than I am."

"Wait what?" Tatsuki asked. Apparently he had been appreciating Aki's drawing so much that he wasn't quite listening to everything Aki was saying.

"Nothing never mind," Aki said hurriedly, grabbing her drawing back from Tatsuki. "I'll make sure you have it first thing in the morning for the auction tomorrow."

"Yeah, well do it fast but do it neatly. I still say your piece gets us the highest bid!" Tatsuki walked around to the other Art Club Members and Aki slumped in her seat. She inspected her drawing with less confidence, spotting some imperfections at Tatsuki's last comment.

"I really wish you wouldn't say that," she muttered, lightly clutching her bangs. She worked quietly before a booming rumble shook the room.

"What was that?" A second year said worriedly.

"Is it an earthquake?" A first year asked.

Another boom shook the room. Aki snapped her head in the direction of the window and sure enough, her suspicions were confirmed. A huge, mechanical griffin was stomping around in the school's courtyard.

"Everyone evacuate and get to safety!" Tatsuki said, having noticed the monster himself. Aki raced out of the room, compass in hand and ignoring Tatsuki's cries to get her attention. She saw Fuyuko as she flew down the stairs.

"You saw it, too Fuyu-nee?"

"Yeah! We need to stop that before it destroys the school!"

"**Pretty Cure! Direction Change!"**

"**The Steely Western Tiger! Cure Chrome!"**

"**The Calm Northern Tortoise! Cure Stream!"**

The two cures burst out into the courtyard and they looked around for the General that summoned the monster.

"Doesn't look like they decided to show their face today!" Chrome reported.

"Where are Natsumi and Haruka?" Stream asked.

"I don't know, but it looks like it's just me and you for now!"

The Industrialite acted quickly, stomping at the ground where Stream and Chrome were. Cracks webbed in the earth and sent up plumes of dirt and dust as the griffin continued to stomp, trying to pin one of the warriors to the ground.

Heart beating fast, Chrome charged for the monster. **"Chrome Juggernaut!" **Her body instantly became plated in steel as she flung herself at the monster. When she connected, the griffin toppled sideways and landed, sending a plume of dust and dirt to cloud around it.

"SCRRAWWW!" It shrieked, swiping one of its huge talons at Chrome.

"**Stream Shield!" **A swirling shield of water appeared before Chrome, protecting her from the griffin's swipe. She back flipped backwards to her cousin, breathing hard already. "Not over yet," Stream said.

The hulking griffin managed to get up and it flapped its wings, rocketing upwards.

"Not on my watch!" Chrome shouted, spreading her palms wide. **"Chrome Chains!"** The silver tendrils snaked out of Chrome's open palms and raced for the griffin. But it had flown to high out of reach for the chains. Chrome scoffed and let the chains disappear. "I hate flying Industrialites."

"Let's just try and contain it then. We need Natsumi and Haruka to help beat this thing."

"Yeah, you're right." And as if on cue, a streak of red orange flames rocketed upwards towards the Industrialite. Red smoke bloomed around the griffin when the two met, and the griffin was sent downwards, crashing into the ground.

"Sorry we're late," Willow said, running up to her teammates. Inori, Ayame and Orianna weren't far behind her. "Where's the general? Do we need to get Orianna some place safe?"

"There's no general that we can see. I guess they decided not to show up today," Stream said.

"But that thing can still get Orianna and take her back," Cinder said, having just landed next to the other three cures. "So we've got to give that thing everything we've got!"

"And I've got the golden compass," Inori said. "We need either Stream or Chrome to use it still."

"I'll do it today," Chrome said, taking the compass. She always felt confident when she transformed. She looked at her team with a smile on her face. "Lets beat this thing!"

The cures cheered in unison before breaking their semi-huddle and charging for the griffin.

"**Willow Leaf Dance!"** Teal leaves flew all around the courtyard. Willow began to move faster and faster until there were multiple Willow afterimages running around and dancing. It was hard for the griffin to keep up with so many Willows. It would stomp and crush one only for it to have been an afterimage and not the cure herself.

"**Cinder Impact!" **Two flaming red-orange orbs collided with the griffin, exploding on contact. The griffin shrieked and charged for Cinder. Its mighty wings beat forwards, sending a flurry of razor sharp feathers in her direction.

"**Pretty Cure! Stream Wall!" **Blue water burst upwards from the ground and it was rushing up with so much force that the feathers simply bounced off the water, unable to make it through.

"Nice save!" Cinder said.

"No problem!" Stream replied. The water wall disappeared and the cures went in for another barrage of attacks, ready to end the battle.

"**Stream Bubble!"**

"**Cinder Heat Wave!"**

"**Willow Leaf Storm!"**

"**Chrome Javelins!"**

Blue spheres of water, red-hot wind, teal leaves and silvery-white javelins of steel all flew towards the griffin, exploding into multicolored smoke when they hit.

"Cure Chrome! Now!" Inori exclaimed.

"Right!" Chrome readied the compass. It glowed with golden light as she held it out with her left hand. She reached over with her right and pulled it back, the compass morphing into a hand held cannon barrel.

"**Pretty Cure! Golden Chrome Cannon!"** A sphere of golden energy burst from the tip of the barrel and flew towards the Industrialite. Once it hit, the Industrialite exploded into yellow smoke. And when the smoke and dust cleared, nothing remained. The golden light from within the earth restored any damage done by the monster.

"Chrome!" Cinder said, running up to the white cure and hugging her. "That was so awesome! Where did all that confidence come from?" Chrome felt a surge of warmth as she blushed.

"Well… I always feel like a different person when I'm Cure Chrome. A more confident and strong willed version of myself that I've always wanted to be. I wish I could be her all the time. But I want to protect you guys! The people I consider to be the most precious things in my life!" Everyone laughed and aw'd at Chrome's sentiment, closing in on her for a group hug.

The west portion of the compass lit up with white light.

* * *

"Where is Nishi-san?" Tatsuki asked a club member.

"Haven't seen her yet today." A third year said.

"Well we can't start the auction without her! We need her submission."

Aki burst through the door to the prep room, breathing hard. She had a big, flat portfolio slung over her shoulder. Tatsuki's face lit up when he saw her but something was a bit off about Aki. With puffy eyes and a sweat-drenched forehead, Tatsuki wondered… had Aki been crying?

"I'm here," she said through breaths. "Sorry I'm late. I had to do some finishing touches."

"Nishi-san, are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Aki said, sniffling a little. "I'm good. Now."

"Okay… Let's get this auction started then!"

* * *

The auction went off without a hitch. Every piece of art that was presented so far had been sold to a happy buyer. Tatsuki, since he was the president, acted as the auctioneer. Aki fidgeted nervously as they worked through the register of artwork. Tatsuki had wanted hers to go last. And that time to present her submission was now. And the amount of people that had somehow managed to fit into the Art Room didn't help, either.

"What did Aki end up drawing?" Natsumi asked.

"It's a secret," Ayame said coyly.

"And now we present our final submission," Tatsuki said proudly, gesturing grandly to Aki's direction. "Our last piece is a submission from Nishi Akiko, an extremely talented and valued member of the Art Club. Simply titled 'Holding Hands,' Nishi-san explains that this piece of work portrays the thing she finds most precious: friendship."

Aki nervously walked out with her artwork and set it up on the easel. It was a simple watercolor image of a set of held hands in front of a wash of soft blue. Nothing more, and nothing less. Aki was still fidgeting nervously as Tatsuki started the bid at 2000 yen.

One hand shot up. Aki looked up to see Ayame as the first bidder. She winked at Aki, and Aki smiled, her nerves calming slightly.

"Okay, we've got 2000 yen, do I hear 2500?" Tatsuki asked the crowed. This time Natumi's hand shot up. Tatsuki repeated the process. But the next hand that shot up wasn't one of her friends. Aki's confidence built with each increase of the bid.

"Alright so we've got 4500 yen, anyone want to go for 5000?" Tatsuki scanned the art room, looking for another hand. "Going once, going twice… Sold! To the lovely lady here in the front."

Aki let out her breath and realized that she had been holding it in. She looked over at Tatsuki. "Sorry," she mumbled. She handed her artwork to the lady in front, happy that it sold. But it didn't get the highest bid.

"What are you talking about?" Tatsuki said as Aki stepped back up on their small, makeshift stage.

"It didn't go for the highest bid."

"Oh… Is that what you were worried about?" Tatsuki asked. Aki looked up, confused. "I saw you fidgeting all throughout the auction and when you came to the prep room earlier... it… looked like you had been crying. Were… you worried about getting the highest bid?"

Aki looked away, embarrassed. Tatsuki laughed.

"If I put any pressure on you because of that, I'm sorry Nishi-san. You still made a great piece of art. In my opinion, it was priceless."

"You think so?"

"Of course! You made something that was precious to you. In my opinion, you can't put a price tag on that."

Aki looked over at her friends, smiling and waving at her.

"No… You definitely can't put a price on what's precious in life."

* * *

Preview:

Fuyuko: It's my mom's birthday today!  
Natsumi: Oh really? Are you going to bake her a cake?  
Aki: It's Fuyuko we're talking about, of course she will!  
Haruka: Oh, but the farmer's market is closed today.  
Fuyuko: What?  
Orianna: And you're out of ingredients!  
Fuyuko: What?! Oh no! And my oven isn't working properly! Can this get any worse?!

Next time on _Compass Pretty Cure!:_ "Patient Tortoise: Happy Birthday Mom! Fuyuko's Baking Disaster!"


	16. Fuyuko's Baking Disaster!

The small apartment clamored with life as everyone prepared for the day. Michiru and Naoki's bickering voices carried out of the small bathroom into the kitchen and the dining room.

"Michiru, Naoki," Hotaka said, her voice still full of exhaustion despite having a full night of sleep. She circled around the dining room table, placing pure white plates down. "Please. You two know you need to share that bathroom."

"I just need to brush my hair and Michiru is busy putting her face on," Naoki said, storming out of the bathroom. Her dark hair was clumped in tangles of bedhead around her face.

"And I keep telling her that she can do that anywhere," Michiru said from the bathroom.

"Naoki, you can use the vanity in my room to brush you hair," Hotaka said, gesturing to her right. "Shota, Kaori," Hotaka said, raising her voice a little. "Time to wake up, you two." A ten-year-old girl with big, round glasses sliding down her nose exited a room to Hotaka's left.

"Coming mom," she said, her twin braids bouncing as she skipped up to the dining room table. "Shouta's awake but he's still in bed," she reported.

The smell of freshly steamed rice filled the apartment and the sound of finished toast popping up from the toaster could be heard.

"Breakfast time!" Fuyuko said, poking her head out of the kitchen. "And a special one at that! Happy birthday, mom!"

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure – Episode 16: Patient Tortoise: Happy Birthday Mom! Fuyuko's Baking Disaster!_

* * *

Noire watched from a distance as Ophelia spoke with Platania. She said she had something important to discuss with the Metal Queen, and needed to do so in private. Noire didn't mind. She felt better that way actually. She still loved Ophelia, but being with her… knowing her story… and knowing that she herself did not have a reason like Ophelia's to be working for Queen Platania only made her conflicting feelings worse.

Blanc marched into the Control Room, stopping as he stood next to Noire.

"Something on your mind?" He droned. Noire gave a quick glance up at the massive man next to her. Noire always felt like the size of an ant when he stood next to her.

"Blanc, why are you fighting for Queen Platania's sake?"

"I don't understand the question."

"I mean… Ophelia lost her home, her family to a natural disaster. That's why she fights… So why do you? What about this vendetta do you agree with?"

"All my life," Blanc said after a moment. "I've trained to be like the perfect piece of steel. Sturdy, unchanging and strong. Like a good sword." Blanc unsheathed his sword and inspected it with his gray-blue eyes. "Nature changes too much. It's unpredictable. Steel can be molded and bent into other shapes, but at least someone is in control of that. Nature is wild. Untamable. It answers to no one. Not even the Golden One."

"So… You didn't lose anyone?" Noire asked. "You don't hate Nature the way Ophelia does?"

"No," Blanc said simply. "I guess… I don't hate Nature but protecting everyone from its unpredictability is something that I live by. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Noire said unconvincingly. But she knew Blanc wouldn't press. He hardly spoke unless spoken to or he felt the need to. Noire realized this was the most she'd ever spoken to the White General before. She turned her attention back to the Ophelia and Queen Platania far out across the Control Room.

"I wonder what they're talking about," Blanc said, as if reading Noire's mind.

* * *

"So Fuyu-nee, what do you plan on doing for Auntie Hotaka's birthday today?"

The girls had once again pushed their desks together for lunch as it continued to get hotter outside. Fuyuko was munching on a piece of chicken _karaage_ with a smug look on her face.

"It's your mom's birthday today?" Natsumi asked.

"It is! My mother loves rum raisin cake so that's what I'm going to make today!" Fuyuko bent over and reached into her bag. Sitting upright, Fuyuko set down a slip of green paper on her desk. "I've got my grocery list right here! I figured after school I'd go to the Central Shopping District and collect all my ingredients for the cake! If any of you want to join me, I'd appreciate the company."

"No no no no," Haruka said. "Don't go to the Central Shopping District. Go to the Farmers Market in Shizenshima East. It's right by the train station so I see it every morning before school. It's closed on some days, but I think it should be open today!"

"Oh really? I only go to that Farmer's Market for really special occasions… It's a bit pricy," Fuyuko said sheepishly.

"Well I guess a mother's birthday is a super special occasion and a good enough reason to go!" Orianna chimed in. "You've got to go all out for her! She's your mother after all!"

"I've gotten to know some of the produce vendors actually," Haruka said. "Me and my mom go shopping there all the time. Maybe I can haggle with them to save a few yen here and there."

"Th-thank you." Fuyuko felt her cheeks flush with warmth. "I guess we'll pick up Inori and Ayame after school and go to the Farmer's Market!"

* * *

"Aw! You're making your mom a birthday cake?" Ayame said, bobbing slightly as the train made its way to Shizenshima East. "I don't even know the first thing about baking… my mom mostly gets a store bought cake," Ayame admitted, rubbing the back of her head in slight embarrassment.

"I do it every year. Or rather, every year since I started baking," Fuyuko said.

"Oh yeah, that's right. You only joined the Sweet's Club as a first year in middle school. You've been baking ever since it's hard to remember that you didn't always used to be a baker," Aki said.

"You've only been baking for three years?" Natsumi asked incredulously, mouth gapping.

Fuyuko nodded. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The chatter of the train compartment and the soft voice on the intercom sounded in the silence.

"Yeah… I owe my joining the Sweets Club to my mom, in a way."

"How so?" Inori asked.

"Well, I always did fine in school but…" Fuyuko's voice drifted off.

* * *

_Thirteen-year-old Fuyuko entered the apartment. Kaori and Shouta were planted in front of the TV screen, playing with toys when they weren't watching. Hotaka was seen on the couch, her head back and eyes closed._

"_Resting your eyes mom?" Fuyuko asked, setting her school bag down on the side table next to the couch. She took a seat next to her mother and watched Kaori and Shouta play._

"_Yes, just resting my eyes," Hotaka said with a sigh. Hotaka opened her eyes and looked at the clock just above the TV. "What are you doing home so early?"_

_Fuyuko clenched her skirt tightly. She didn't want to answer but she knew her mother would press. The nonsensical chatter from the TV was all that could be heard in the moment._

"_I know I said I was going to find a club, but… I just… Don't feel like joining one. I'm fine not being in one."_

_Fuyuko felt a gentle hand on her head as it stroked her hair._

"_Fuyuko, you're miserable. I can see it. Akiko found a club that she enjoys. Your cousin can't be your only friend. You should make some more A club would be a good way to make new friends."_

"_But then I won't have time to study!" Fuyuko turned and faced her mother, eyes fierce. "And I need to make the best grades so I can get a good scholarship for a good school. I can't get bogged down with a club."_

"_Well…" The stroking stopped. "Clubs help those applications. Test scores are important, and clubs can do nothing but help you. But Fuyuko," Hotaka held her daughter's face and looked into her eyes. "I just want you to make some friends and be happy. We will always find the money for that stuff when the time comes. I promise."_

"_I know," Fuyuko said softly. "I know."_

* * *

"FARMERS MARKET CLOSED" was written in big, red letters. Underneath was the schedule of the farmers market.

Mon: 7AM-5PM  
Tues: 7AM-5PM  
Wed: CLOSED  
Thurs: 7AM-5PM  
Fri: 8AM-4PM  
Sat: CLOSED  
Sun: 5AM-6PM

"Oooh… Sorry. I thought today was Tuesday when I mentioned it…" Haruka said.

"That's okay! W-we'll just hop back on the train and head back to Shizenshima Central. Hopefully some of the good stalls there haven't run out of ingredients yet."

"I'm really sorry, Fuyuko," Haruka repeated.

"It's really fine! But we've just got to hurry!"

* * *

Ophelia stared at the pillar, brows furrowed and hands on her hips.

"Queen Platania, please answer my question. What was that thing from the other night?"

The frantic whispering buzzed in Ophelia's ears, though she couldn't make out any of what was being said.

"It would appear…" Ophelia noted how in the past few weeks, Platania's voice had moved away from the monotone, robotic drone to an almost fully emotive voice. "It would appear that the seal that is currently keeping me in this prison has weakened considerably with the Golden One's passing."

Ophelia felt her face go slack, putting the pieces together in her mind.

"So… that wasn't some kind of creation of yours I saw? That was…" Ophelia gulped hard, beads of sweat sliding down her face. She recalled that night and the true horror she felt when she saw that hulking creature.

"Was me, yes," Platania finished. "When I feel strong enough… I will personally pay Pretty Cure a visit. I've only managed to project that form of myself for only short amounts of time. I need to learn how to be a being again. I think in a matter of days I can be ready. And when I am… Pretty Cure will fall. And soon after that, Nature itself."

* * *

Fuyuko was taking the steps two at a time.

"Wait for us!" Orianna cried as the rest of the group trailed behind Fuyuko.

"I've got to get to a specific stall before they run out of raisins!" Fuyuko shouted over her shoulder. She climbed a few more steps before she finally made it to the top of the street, where there were many small shops and a huge crowd of people doing their afternoon shopping. "Excuse me, pardon me, coming through," Fuyuko said as politely as she could, weaving in and out of the maze of people. She finally spotted her favorite shop just ahead to her left and made a beeline to it.

"Thank you for shopping!" A middle aged, balding man said to a woman. He handed her a plastic grocery bag and her change and smiled big at her as she thanked him back.

"Mr. Aikawa!" Fuyuko said, her chest rising and falling faster than normal, slightly out of breath. "I hope I'm not too late for a batch of freshly made, freshly dried raisins!"

"Ah, Fuyuko-chan! Oh… unfortunately I just sold the last bundle of raisins… Won't have any more for another couple of days, I'm afraid," he said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Oh no!" Fuyuko hung her head in disappointment.

"I'm sorry Fuyuko-chan! Is there a reason you need them so badly?"

"It's my mom's birthday and she loves rum raisin cake! So I thought of your raisins…" Fuyuko said sadly as her group of friends crowded behind her.

"Oh, what's wrong Fuyu-nee?" Aki asked.

"Mr. Aikawa is out of his homemade raisins!"

"Oh really? That's a bummer… My mom loves buying Mr. Aikawa's raisins, too. Homemade is seriously better than boxed rasins," Ayame said.

"I guess we'll have to look elsewhere for the raisins. But I need to get home as soon as possible!" Fuyuko said. Her friends all looked at her with sympathy. Aki rubbed Fuyuko's back, quietly reassuring her it would all be okay.

"Mr. Aikawa," Inori said. The girls snapped their heads in Inori's direction, slightly surprised she had spoken up. "Do you have anything Fuyuko-san might be able to buy?"

Aikawa rested his chin in the space between his thumb and his index finger, a look of concentration on his face.

"Well…" he said after a while. "I might have some boxed raisins somewhere… Obviously they aren't going to be as good as my homemade raisins, but I think they'll do the trick!"

"Really?!" Fuyuko's face instantly perked up, a hopeful smile spreading on her face. "I'll take any raisins you might have, Mr. Aikawa!"

Aikawa shuffled to the back of his store and rummaged around in a few boxes. He searched for a few minutes before standing up with an "Aha!" He made his way back to the girls and handed Fuyuko a few of green boxes of raisins.

"Oh, Mr. Aikawa! How can I thank you?! How much do I owe you?" Fuyuko opened her her coin purse and began fishing around for coins. Aikawa waved his hand at Fuyuko's purse.

"It's on the house, Fuyuko-chan. If it's Hotaka's birthday, it's the least I can do for her. Your mom is such a valued customer at this stand."

Fuyuko's eyes lit up even more.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Thank you, Mr. Aikawa!"

* * *

Unfortunately for Fuyuko, the bad luck did not stop there.

"Who knew rum extract would be so hard to find," Natsumi muttered, looking at the shelves of flavored extracts. They had made their way into a supermarket just around the block from Mr. Aikawa's stand. The next thing on Fuyuko's list was rum extract.

"It's normally not that hard to find!" Fuyuko said, franticly pulling bottles off of the shelf, trying to see if there were _any _bottles of the stuff towards the back of the shelf. "There has to be some here!"

"Oh, raspberry extract sounds yummy," Haruka said. She pulled the dark brown bottle off of the shelf and inspected it. "What about making a raisin raspberry cake instead?"

Fuyuko sighed. "Haruka, that sounds delicious and I'll have to make it some other time… But my mom loves rum raisin cake so that's what I want to make for her. I don't want to compromise at all!"

* * *

_The final bell rang throughout Shizenshima Northern Middle School. Fuyuko packed her bags silently, walking through the floor plan of the upper floor of the school in her mind's eye. There was a rare cram school session going on in the lecture hall on the third floor and Fuyuko wasn't going to miss it._

"_I'll see you tomorrow," Aki said, lazily waving to her cousin._

"_Yeah you, too! And tell Auntie Izumi we plan on being over this Sunday for dinner."_

"'_Kaaaay," Aki said, already at the door of the classroom._

_And with that, Fuyuko stood up, grabbed her bag and exited the room herself. She headed straight for the stairs, which were just to her right as she left. Taking the last step onto the third floor, Fuyuko took in a deep breath. Something smelled utterly delicious. She immediately fell in love._

_Cinnamon wafted down the halls, tickling her nose with its spicy, sweet, warm scent. She took another deep breath in of the aroma._

Gggrrruummm

_Fuyuko instantly blushed at the sound of her stomach growling. She looked around jerkily, hoping no one heard her. She sighed. She hadn't eaten anything since lunch and even then, she didn't eat much. She had to study. With the coast clear, Fuyuko continued walking, her legs hitting her bag as she held it in front of her._

"_It was in classroom 3-D, I think." Fuyuko kept her eyes at the long, white rectangles with black lettering that protruded from the walls, indicating the room number. She stopped just in front of 3-D and sighed. She wished she had time to join a club. She genuinely did. But getting as many scholarships as she could was more important to her. She slid the door open and a cloud of the cinnamon aroma engulfed her._

* * *

"Oh, did you say you were looking for rum extract?" A young, girl worker said to the group. She held a plain cardboard box in her hands.

"Yes! That's exactly what we're looking for!" Orianna exclaimed.

"I was just about to stock up on that. Sorry for making you go through all that trouble." The girl lifted up box, to show that it was the box full of rum extract. She then set it on the ground and pulled off the packing tape. "Here you go! One bottle of rum extract!"

Fuyuko took the bottle and held it to her chest before bowing deeply at the store worker.

"Thank you so much!" She stood back up and inspected the bottle. Big red numbers on the bottle read ¥1250. "Oh… Is it really this much? You… don't have anything cheaper?" The worker looked at a bottle in the box and checked the price.

"No ma'am, I'm sorry. We only carry this brand of rum extract." Her tone was sympathetic.

"Maybe there's a coupon somewhere?" Ayame offered.

"How much is it?" Haruka asked, snatching the bottle out of Fuyuko's hands. "Oh. I can cover this for you," she said, deadpan.

"A-are you sure?! You don't have to do that, Haruka!"

"Oh lighten up, I like helping out my friends." Haruka gave a wink to Fuyuko. "Come on let's go get some eggs or whatever else you need and head on home so you can bake this cake."

* * *

Fuyuko rushed home after getting all of her ingredients. She smiled big when she noticed a note on the door of her family's apartment.

"Took Kaori and Shouta to the park. Be back soon.  
-Momma"

Perfect. She could make the cake a surprise now! Once inside, Fuyuko immediately got to work.

* * *

"_Welcome to the Sweets Club!" A girl with shoulder length, violet hair said excitedly. Fuyuko stood in the doorway, mouth gapping._

"_Oh, I'm sorry, I thought this was the room the cram school… session was… being… held…" Fuyuko's voice trailed off as her eyes locked on to a tray full of cinnamon rolls. Curls of white steam wafted upwards in elegant shapes. Fresh out of the oven, it seemed. "Did…" swallow. "Did you all just make those?"_

"_Yeah! We're just about to frost them! Do you maybe want one?"_

Gggruuummmmm.

"_Looks like your stomach answered for you!" The girl said. The rest of the club members giggled, but smiled friendly at the blushing Fuyuko._

"_I'd… I'd love to have one. If it's alright with everyone, that is."_

"_Yes, of course it's fine! But one condition." The girl became a bit serious. "You have to join the Sweets Club!"_

"_Oh… I don't think I can join any clubs…"_

"_Oh, come on! It's a lot of fun!" One member said._

"_You get to bake stuff and take it home later!" Another member said._

"_I've had a lot of fun learning how to make sweets and cakes and everything in between!" The girl with violet hair said. Fuyuko's stomach grumbled once more._

"_Um…" Her mouth watered at the tray full of cinnamon rolls. "Okay!"_

"_Yay! Great choice! Up next, we're going to learn how to make a rum raisin cake! Oh and hey, I'm Oumae Sayuri by the way."_

"_Nice to meet you, Oumae-san." Fuyuko bowed. "I'm Kita Fuyuko!"_

* * *

_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP_

"Nooooooo!" Fuyuko groaned. "My cake is ruined!" The baker frantically waved a towel in front of the smoke detector, trying to get the annoying beeping to stop. "What happened? I set it for 180°C like always! How did this happen?" Fuyuko, with mitts on now, pulled the burned cake out of the oven and plopped it on the counter behind her.

Carefully, she jimmied a knife around the sides of the pan and once it was loose enough, she dumped the blackened, cracked cake into the trashcan. "Dumb old, outdated oven," she grumbled as she ran to the windows and opened them, trying to clear the apartment of smoke. She snatched her cellphone up and dialed Natsumi.

"Hey, Natsumi! My oven just went berserk and burned my cake. Is there any chance I can run over to Beachside Café and borrow one of Hotaru's? … Okay, yeah I can wait … … She said I can? Oh gosh, thank you Natsumi! You're a lifesaver! I'll be over in twenty minutes, tops!"

Fuyuko quickly scrawled a note on a scrap of paper and taped it to the front door and darted towards the train station.

* * *

Blanc eyed the island with disdain. He hated coming here. But Queen Platania needed the Princess to finish her plan. He unsheathed his sword and pulled out a sheet of Industrialite metal.

"Time to do your duty once more, old friend."

Blanc wrapped the purple-black metal around his blade and it lit up with an outline of purple light.

"Industrialite! Enemy of Nature! Take your form!"

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Fuyuko closed the oven door and wiped her brow free of sweat. She turned back to Hotaru whom was watching her with admiration.

"That looked and smelled really good," she said, eyes now on the oven door. "Can I get your recipe? I might want to make that myself and put it on the menu."

"Of course! I can just write it down for you. It's the least I can do for letting me borrow your oven." Fuyuko quickly jotted down the recipe on a sheet of paper and handed it happily to Hotaru. "It really helps if you buy Mr. Aikawa's homemade raisins. His raisins are so much better than boxed stuff."

"I'll be sure to remember it! Thank you, Kita-san!" With that, Fuyuko left the kitchen. Luckily, all of her friends decided they wanted to go to Beachside Café while she rushed home to make her mother's cake.

"I so wish I could get a taste of that!" Ayame said her elbow propped on the table, cheek in her palm. "I think I can already smell it baking."

"I'll try and make it for you sometime! Oh, and thank you again Haruka for buying some of my ingredients. You really didn't have to do that."

"Nonsense, I enjoy helping out my fri-" Haruka was cut off by a sudden cacophony of screaming and people escaping the café. Pretty Cure all whipped their heads to the window and saw the giant knight Industrialite stomping around on the beach. The four girls all exchanged glances, nodded, and pulled their compasses out. They rushed to a hidden area and transformed.

"**Pretty Cure! Direction Change!"**

"**The Fiery Southern Bird! Cure Cinder!"  
**"**The Steely Western Tiger! Cure Chrome!"  
**"**The Calm Northern Tortoise! Cure Stream!"  
**"**The Elegant Eastern Dragon! Cure Willow!"**

"**Leading Hearts on the Path of Justice! Compass Pretty Cure!"**

The cures all raced out to the beach, ready to fight.

"Ah, so you've come, Pretty Cure! Makes this easier for me! Industrialite, destroy those pests."

The Industrialite snapped to attention before swiftly swiping at the sand. The girls jumped upwards, dodging the swipe just barely.

"I'm sure you hear this every time," Blanc's baritone voice boomed loudly as he shouted at the girls. "But this would all be so much easier if you just handed us the Princess."

"We cannot do that!" Stream shouted, rapidly taking jabs at the Industrialite.

"We won't easily give up our friend like that!" Chrome shouted, shooting upwards and falling down, toes pointed up so her heels could make contact.

"I'm sure you guys all hear that all the time, too!" Willow elegantly blocked a swipe from the knight Industrialite. She quickly grabbed hold of the blade as she spun around and heaved the monster over her shoulder.

"**Cinder… Eruption!" **Flames danced around Cinder's body, superheating the sand beneath her. She balled her fists and tucked her elbows by her sides. An instant later, she thrust her arms upward, molten earth and vermilion flames shooting upwards, hitting the flung Industrialite square in the chest.

"Industrialite! Show them the power of machines. The unchanging power of cold steel."

The Industrialite shakily stood up, but readied its sword once upright. An arch of dark purple energy charged for the Cures as the knight slashed at the air.

"**Stream Shield!"** A vortex of swirling water appeared in front of Stream as she held off the Industrialite's attack. "What's the point of being unchanging?" she shouted at Blanc.

"Hmm?" was all he said in response.

"What is wrong with allowing yourself to change and be changed?" she said through grit teeth. The dark purple crescent began to rain down sparks of purple energy as it fought against Stream's shield.

"Like the perfect blade… I wish to remain unchanged by the elements. I have honed my skills and body to become the perfect weapon to take down Nature!"

"Sounds boring to me!" Chrome said. **"Chrome Javelins!"** Slivers of white energy collided with the Industrialite's energy crescent, exploding into nothingness. Stream's shield disappeared, the threat now defeated.

"Change is what helps make life so interesting and worth living!" Willow said. **"Willow Vines!"** The teal vines snaked outwards from her palms and wrapped themselves around the Industrialite.

"Don't just stand there! Free yourself!" Blanc barked. The Industrialite swept its blade and cut the vines. But Pretty Cure was already moving in on the monster.

"If nobody changed then no one would appreciate anything about this world!" Cinder said, landing punches and kicks on the knight.

"This world is too unpredictable! Full of nothing but disaster. People need to be protected from the elements and train themselves to combat the danger of Nature!"

"You're right," Stream said, punching the Industrialite away from the group. "This world is powerful and unpredictable." She closed her eyes and rested her palm on her chest. And smiled. "But from disaster and tragedy, people stand together and support one another and overcome all of that. That's the beauty about change and Nature. It brings people together in the strangest ways. And sometimes… there doesn't need to be a disaster. Sometimes," Stream paused. "Sometimes Nature leads you where you need to go."

* * *

From the sidelines, the Golden Compass shot out of Inori's hand and into the fray of the battle.

* * *

Stream felt a sudden weight in her open hand. She opened her eyes and looked down at the compass.

"And people will change for the better because of that!"

"Industrialite! CHARGE!" The Industrialite bounded down the beach, sending energy blade after energy blade at the cures. Stream extended her arms, the compass facing outward from her left palm.

"**Pretty Cure! Golden Stream Wall!"**

A wall of solid gold burst upwards from the sand, slightly curved, protecting the Cures from the Industrialite's attack. The crescents melted into wisps of golden energy when they collided with the wall of gold.

"Take this!" Stream shouted. The wall glowed intensely with bright light and shot a beam of energy outwards, swallowing up the Industrialite. A cloud of yellow smoke burst from the Industrialite. When the smoke cleared and the golden wall disappeared, Blanc's sword hit the sand with a pathetic _plunk_. "Blanc…" Stream looked over at the White General. "You can't think that not being able to change is a good thing."

Blanc snatched his blade from the sand and sheathed it.

"Change is for weaklings. They don't like something about themselves so they change it. Try to find something else they might be good at only to either fail at it or decide they don't like it in the end." His piercing, cold eyes bore into Stream's. "I will never change." The general disappeared in a flash of white diamonds.

The North section lit up with a soft, navy glow. Fully charged, the Compass flew out of Stream's hands and flew back to the sidelines… and into Orianna's hands. The girls detranformed and raced over to their friends.

"W-Why did it come to me?" Orianna asked nervously. Everyone except Ayame exchanged worried glances. "H-hey… what was that all about?" The Princess asked.

"I think the Compass just recognized you as the Golden One is all," Inori said, again surprising everyone for speaking up so suddenly. "After all, he did hide some of his essence in you. Maybe it still thinks you're him." Inori's warm brown eyes seemed to smile at the Princess as she did. Orianna took a deep breath.

"Y-yeah you may be right. Here, you take it then." She handed it off to Inori, but the second it left Orianna's hands it flew back to her. "Or… Or I guess I'll keep it then."

"I wonder why it didn't pick anyone right away," Aki said.

"Maybe the 5th Cure just hasn't revealed herself to the compass," Inori said, staring at the gold circle in Orianna's hands.

* * *

"Happy birthday, mom!" The Kita family cheered. It wasn't until late that evening that Fuyuko managed to get her cake completely baked. All her setbacks cost her valuable time.

"Oh, thank you so much everyone," Hotaka said, pecking her husband on the cheek as he leaned over in his chair to do so. The family was gathered around the dinner table with Fuyuko standing next to her mother, having just set down the plate with the cake on it.

"I made your favorite: rum raisin!"

"I do love a good rum raisin cake. And no one's is better than Fuyuko's!" Hotaka grabbed her daughter's hand and squeezed with affection. "I remember the first time I had a piece, too. You had just come home from your first day with the Sweets Club." Fuyuko returned the affectionate squeeze and hugged her mother from the side.

"I owe it all to you."

"Me? Why?"

"Well I could have easily checked other rooms for that cram session study but… Well… I had thought about how you seemed so sad to see me not enjoying myself and I thought that I deserved to enjoy myself, too. So I stayed." The two hugged once more. "Change is good. Scary… but good."

"Alright who wants a piece of cake?" Fuyuko's father said. The whole Kita family raised their hands.

* * *

Orianna felt the morning light on her face and opened her eyes. Natsumi was sitting in the windowsill nook, window open, summer breeze in her hair, and staring at the beach.

"G'morning," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"Morning!" Natsumi said. There was a sudden clattering noise buzzing in the room. The girls exchanged concerned glances as they looked around the room, trying to find where the noise was coming from. "The compass!" Natsumi cried, pointing a shaking finger at the compass on her desk.

Sure enough, the compass was shaking and jumping around the desk. It was moving around so much that it toppled off of the desk. Airborne, the compass froze and floated slowly upwards. Orianna and Natsumi stared wildly at it. It began to glow with golden light and it concentrated outwards into a straight line. The compass flattened out, pointing north. The light stopped right at the door.

"Do… do you think it's pointing to whoever it chose to be the 5th Cure?" Natsumi said, her words breathless.

"Dunno…" Orianna wasn't sure she was completely awake at the moment, but what was going on before her eyes seemed extremely real. "But if I had to guess, they might be behind the door…"

And just then, there was a knock.

* * *

Preview:

Orianna: The Golden PreCompass has finally been activated!  
Natsumi: We're finally going to find out who the final Pretty Cure is!  
Aki: I hope it's Inori!  
Haruka: I want it to be Ayame!  
Fuyuko: Wait… What's that black thing attacking the Kinomoto Shrine?!

Next time on _Compass Pretty Cure!: _"The Pretty Cure of the Center! Cure Terra Is Born!"


	17. Cure Terra is Born!

The knock on the door was soft and sounded three times. Natsumi and Orianna stared at the door with tension. Slowly, the person on the other side of the door began to open it and the compass's light winked out as it clattered to the ground.

…

…

"Natsumi are you awake yet?" Hotaru said opening the door fully. Orianna and Natsumi gave out a collective exasperated sigh, both of them collapsing back on to their bed. "Are… you two okay?" Hotaru asked, eyeing them both.

"W-we're fine, we're fine…" Natsumi said.

"Okay well… get ready. You promised me you'd help me with the café today." Hotaru turned and closed the door, but not before looking back and forth between Orianna and her sister with a confused look on her face.

"There's no way Hotaru could be the fifth cure right?" Natsumi asked.

"How should I know?" Orianna picked up the compass. It seemed like it was done making a scene, utterly lifeless in the Princess's palm. "We completed this thing days ago now and it still hasn't picked the new cure. Though… the Machine Empire hasn't attacked since Fuyuko used the compass either…"

Both girls looked at the compass with concern.

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure – Episode 17: The Pretty Cure of the Center! Cure Terra is Born!_

* * *

Inori sleepily opened her eyes. Like every morning since she started staying with Haruka, she sat up, stretched and turned to the set of white, French doors to her right, watching the shadows dance on the white curtains. She threw her covers off and walked over to the doors and opened them slowly, a line of light widening on her face as she did so.

She had to admit; she was living better here on this island than she ever did back in the Valley. Inori stretched once more and looked over her shoulder to see the sleeping pile of guardians on a big dog bed, three empty beds lined up next to it. They all had their own bed, but for some reason they always slept in the same one. The summer, island breeze warmed Inori's cheeks, and she turned back to face the view outside of the doors.

Haruka's family mansion was on a private beach lined with palm trees. Their backyard was literally the ocean that stretched out for miles in a blue mystery. She could hear the waves lapping on the beach even though the wind was stronger as she stepped out onto the balcony.

"Good morning, Inori," Pagong said, floating onto the priestess's shoulder. "I can always count on you standing on this balcony every time I wake up, like clockwork," he said cheerfully.

"And you're always the first one up, like clockwork," Inori said, scratching Pagong's head. She felt a tad silly for doing so. After all, the tortoise sitting on her shoulder was a being of immense power, despite his current weakened form. "How are you four feeling?"

Pagong paused before answering. "We're on the path to recovery. That's all that's important."

"How much longer do you think you'll remain in these weakened forms?"

"It's hard to say." Pagong said. "We've never actually been hit with so much energy that we reverted to a form we weren't even aware we had." The two said nothing for a moment and instead watched the push and pull of the waves on the sand.

"Do you miss the Valley at all?" Inori asked. "Do you miss your mountain?" She kept her eyes forward. Pagong floated down to the railing in front of Inori, he too keeping his gaze forward.

"Everyday," he said. "This world is beautiful but… It doesn't need the others or me. It has it's own magic, even if the inhabitants of this world can't see it or use it." Pagong hopped around and faced Inori. "Why do you ask? Do you miss the Valley? Or the Temple?"

Inori clenched her fists hard. It was an answer she had been struggling with herself. But something about today was different. She knew one reason why it was different from all the others… But something else about this specific day, Inori knew the answer in her heart. She smiled at the tortoise and gently scratched his head once more with her index finger.

"There's something about today that feels good. Today feels like a good day, doesn't it?" Inori said.

* * *

Noire walked around the Mothership aimlessly. Ophelia didn't need her for anything and Blanc was off licking his wounds from his recent failure to capture the Princess. Now when Noire looked at her left hand, the wind became softer and quieter, harder to hear each time. It didn't matter though. She still felt conflicted. She still didn't have a clue as to why she was doing this, or even if this was something she wanted to do anymore.

But then Ophelia's face would always appear in her mind's eye every time she thought about leaving the Machine Empire. Noire wasn't looking where she was going and didn't see Jonah crouched on the ground, digging around an open hole in the wall of the hall she was walking through. With a tumble and the clang of metal, Noire tripped over Jonah.

"Oh! Jonah, I'm sorry. I wasn't… I mean… Y-you should watch where you're working!" She huffed.

"You should watch where you're going," Jonah said, keeping their eyes forward on whatever they were working on. Noire felt her cheeks flush and stood up, dusting her skirt off. She eyed the mechanic and wondered… She had asked Ophelia and Blanc already, so asking Jonah couldn't hurt… Right?

"Jonah?" Noire ventured. She leaned up against the wall and looked away from Jonah. "Why are you fighting for Queen Platania?" Jonah didn't answer and kept working. Noire tried again. "Ophelia lost her family… and Blanc has this… twisted view of reality. Why do you fight?"

"Why do you?" Jonah answered back. Jonah kept twisting the wrench in their hand, but Noire was aware Jonah was now suddenly invested in the conversation. "If you have to ask, I can only assume you don't have an answer yourself." Noire was silent. Jonah took note of her silence as confirmation. "Very well." They put down the wrench and looked up at Noire. "I owe Platania my life."

"You do?"

"I do. I can't remember how long ago I found her, but I remember I was starving and homeless. I somehow stumbled upon her pillar and she saved my life."

"Wait… You found Platania? Is that why you only seem to know her true intentions? Is that how you knew she wanted to extract the Golden One?" Noire suddenly felt angry, though she was unsure as to why.

"Platania is my savior, understand that Noire. I owe her my life. And in a way, she owes hers to me. We're equals. She tells me everything." Jonah flicked a switch inside the wall and stood as the hole closed up. The mechanic eyed Noire for a moment. "Best not let anyone know that you don't know what you're fighting for." Jonah turned away and walked off, leaving Noire to stare at them, stunned.

* * *

Inori took the final step that led up to the Kinomoto Shrine and headed inside. Ayame was already dressed in her _miko _outfit, a white top with red bottoms, sweeping the floor.

"Oh, hey Inori! How are you today?"

"Hello Ayame. I'm feeling pretty good today, actually. Something about today just… feels right. In the best way possible. I've… I've never felt like a day could turn out so well before."

"I totally get what you mean. The day I came back to Shizenshima felt like that, too! Made all these new friends, so clearly my gut was right!"

Inori slid the duffle bag she had slung over her shoulder off and held it in front of her.

"I'm going to go change and I'll help you out with today's duties!"

"Oh no need!" Ayame said, just as Inori had turned around.

"Are you sure?" Inori asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Completely. Summer may be starting, and that's usually a busy time what with all the festivals, but a few of our summer helpers came to the island early yesterday. And you've been working so hard since you got here you deserve a day off! Go find the group and hang out with them!"

"Th-thank you, Ayame! Make sure you come and see us then when you're finished here!"

"Will do!"

* * *

"_Inori, when you're finished with your studies, Elder Klaus has some chores for you."_

"_Yes ma'am." An eight-year-old Inori bowed deeply to the High Priestess. "Um…" Inori regretted that single utterance already. She could feel the High Priestess's eyes boring into her skull._

"_Yes?"_

"_Um… High Priestess… When I finish with Elder Klaus may I have some time to myself?" The young priestess kept her eyes on the dark brown bricks beneath her feet. She didn't dare look up._

"_I suppose. If Elder Klaus says you've done well with your chores," the High Priestess said after a while. Inori let go of her breath and stood upright, only to bow again in thanks._

"_Thank you, High Priestess." Before her superior could change her mind, Inori straightened up and left the prayer room. She made her way to the kitchens to help Elder Klaus._

…

_Once finished with her chores, the young priestess found her direct superior priestess: a middle-aged priestess by the name of Yuri. Inori found her writing slowly in a journal in her chambers. Inori gently knocked on the doorframe._

"_Come in." The woman turned to see Inori standing in the doorway. "Oh, my dear! I see you've come like I asked you to this morning. Did the High Priestess give you some time to rest?" Inori nodded slightly. "Come, come. I did promise you after all."_

_Inori nervously shuffled into the room and knelt on a big, purple cusion. Yuri knelt on a green one that matched her dark green hair next to Inori._

"_You were going to tell me about my parents?" Inori looked hopefully at the priestess next to her. Yuri turned and smiled sadly at her. Inori felt she knew what was coming. "They died and they left me to you, isn't that what happened?"_

"_My child… I'm afraid that's not the case," Yuri said, placing her hand on Inori's head before sliding her hand down and cupping Inori's chin with her palm. "I was out in the field picking herbs when a woman came up to me. She was hysterical, but she had this basket with her. She was crying for help and I calmed her down as best I could. She seemed ill, but I honestly couldn't tell._

"_I asked her what was wrong but she wouldn't answer me. She kept repeating 'I can't do this. I can't do this.' It was then that I realized there was a baby in the basket she had. She looked up at me… She had the wildest eyes, but there was a great sorrow in them as well. She didn't want to give this child up… but something made her. She thrust that basket in my hands and she kissed that baby on the forehead, said 'I love you so much' and ran off."_

_Yuri wasn't looking at Inori anymore. Her dark purple eyes shone brightly with tears. Inori felt her own tears sliding down her face._

"_Th-that" sniffle "That baby was m-me?"_

"_That happened eight years ago today… I'm sorry Inori. Not a happy story for a happy birthday I'm afraid." Yuri grabbed the young girl's hand and held it gently, but lovingly._

"_No… It's okay. I was asking you about it… I-I wanted to know." Inori's big brown eyes looked up at Yuri. "At least she loved me. And while I lost that mom, I gained another one that day." The young priestess wrapped her arms around Yuri and hugged her tightly._

* * *

"What do you mean it's your birthday today?!" Natsumi exclaimed, slamming her hands on the table. "We don't even have a cake or presents for you!"

"You never thought to tell us today was your birthday?" Fuyuko asked. "I can bake you a cake! Oh, I'll make that raspberry raisin cake Haruka thought up of the other day… Oh but wait I'll need to go get more raisins and raspberries."

"It's really fine! The temple I grew up at didn't really celebrate birthdays. Besides, you don't need to do all that for me," Inori said.

"But friends are supposed to help celebrate birthdays!" Orianna said. "Had I known I could have planned a huge party! And I love parties…"

"If they're not a big deal, then why did you mention it?" Haruka asked.

"Haruka-san, you were the one that asked me if anything was going on today!" Inori said, slightly flustered.

"It's a figure of speech…" Haruka muttered.

"Wait, so how old are you today?" Aki asked.

"I'm fifteen today," Inori responded, calming down.

"Wait, you're younger than us?" Natsumi asked incredulously. "You're just so mature and wise that I always thought you were older…"

Inori chuckled. "Thank you, but yes. I'm fifteen today."

"Hotaru! I need a round of birthday cookies ASAP!" Natsumi exclaimed, running up to the pastry display in the café.

* * *

The Generals stood in their usual positions around Platania's pillar.

"As you all remember," Platania started. "The Golden One that bound me has passed away and the new Golden One is not in full possession of her powers yet. When the Golden One died, so did his seal on my prison."

Noire and Blanc stared at the pillar with concern. Ophelia's face was contorted with annoyance and Jonah was unsurprisingly expressionless.

"Turn around," Platania said. The Generals all looked back to the other side of the Control Room. Noire took a few steps backwards, trying to find Ophelia. Blanc's square jaw clenched and unclenched repeatedly as he stared forward. Ophelia's orange eyes flared with anger and distrust. Jonah's thin lips curled upwards ever so slightly.

At the other side of the control room stood a towering figure. Her skin was mostly black except for the skin around her face, which was greyed purple. A pair of large, leathery bat ears protruded from the sides of her head. She stared at her generals with toxic green irises and glowing red sclera. But the most prominent feature of the woman standing before the generals was a pair of massive, bat wings that were fully extended. Faint red veins could be seen in the thin membrane.

"I cannot hold this form for long but over the past few weeks I've been training myself to hold it for hours at a time." Platania's voice was no longer robotic at all. She had full control of it. Her words were menacing, pain and anger hiding just beneath the surface.

"Pretty Cure needs to be reminded of what they are up against. If they still refuse to give up the Princess to me after I'm done with them today…" Platania's blood red lips formed a truly wicked smile. "I will make them beg for mercy."

* * *

A plate of unfinished cookies sat in the middle of the table between all six of the girls. The girls had been chatting about anything and everything for the past hour. Inori realized it was the most she had ever partaken in a conversation with the others since she'd been on the island.

"Thanks for at least getting me some birthday cookies," Inori said after a lull. "It's nice to have friends who want to celebrate with me."

"We'd be bad friends if we didn't want to celebrate your birthday!" Natsumi said. "Like I'm sure we can we count on you to celebrate ours when they come around." The leader of Pretty Cure winked at the priestess. Inori smiled.

"Of course!" she replied.

"You'll never believe it though," Natsumi said. "The compass did something weird this morning?"

"Did it pick out the last member?" Aki asked.

"No… It pointed at my door for some reason and then Hotaru came in. But it fell to the floor the second Hotaru opened the door." Natsumi rested her cheek on her fist, elbow propped on the table, her face full of concern.

"That's weird," Haruka said.

"And surely Hotaru-san isn't the last member of our team." Fuyuko looked over at Hotaru's direction, watching the woman work the cash register.

"That compass is a strange thing, indeed," Inori said somberly. The girls fell silent at that, unsure of what to say next.

"Soo…" Orianna spoke slowly, breaking the silence. "Do… you miss the Valley, Inori?" Orianna was looking down at her hands sitting in her lap, as if she were embarrassed to have asked the question. Inori knew that feeling all too well.

"Do you, Princess?"

"Orianna's fine…" Orianna shifted in her seat, as everyone was suddenly looking t the Princess. "But yeah… I do. I mean I'm so happy I'm here with everyone but… I have days where I miss the Valley… my parents… my maids."

"Of course you had maids," Aki teased.

"But I know I'm going to miss this place so much if I get-"

"When," Natsumi interrupted sternly.

"Right." Orianna smiled. "_When_ I get back home, I'm going to miss this place a lot. But, you didn't answer my question. Do you miss the Valley?"

Inori bit her lip a little. The answer she discovered that morning hadn't gone away. She didn't feel any different.

* * *

"_High Priestess, please!" Inori knelt on the floor and bowed deeply, her forehead touching the bricks. "I'm old enough to where I can finally go on mission trips. Please. Yuri is in the West Village working and I'd like to be there with her."_

_The High Priestess was silent, eyeing Inori's kneeling form. Inori didn't dare look up. Yuri may have been Inori's caretaker and direct elder, but everyone answered to the High Priestess._

"_No." Inori felt every muscle in her body freeze with tension and anger. "Pristess Inori, you have only been thirteen for a few weeks. You must stay here and complete your studies and your duties. When you're a bit older you can go off and do mission work. But it is for your safety that I keep you here at the temple. Elder Yuri would not want you to foolishly risk your life getting to the West Village. The Mountain of Steel is unforgiving, and crossing it is extraordinarily challenging, even for the most skilled hikers in our Temple."_

_Inori slowly stood up, face down, her bangs casting a shadow over her face._

"_I hate it here!" Inori spun around on her heel and dashed out of the chambers. In recent months, Inori found herself feeling more and more isolated and alone. Like she didn't belong. Yuri had been gone for almost a year now doing mission work and there weren't any other priests or priestesses her age. In fact, she was the only priest under the age of thirty in the Temple's long history._

_She made her way back to her chambers and plopped down on her sleeping mat, sobbing._

"_I want to go home!" She didn't know why she said it. The Temple was technically the place she lived, but it didn't feel like home. At least without Yuri, it didn't. Inori sobbed for what seemed like hours until she didn't have any more tears to cry. She stared angrily at the dark wall in front of her, only thinking about how she'd have to wait another whole year to see Yuri's face again._

"_You'll find a home."_

_Inori shot upright, looking around her chambers._

"_Who… who said that?" She poked her head outside of her doorframe and looked left and right. No one had passed by, and the halls were empty and quiet._

"_You'll find a home. One day. I promise."_

_The voice sounded familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. It was a man's voice, Inori knew that much. He sounded young and gentle. And he spoke with such a calmness and certainty that Inori found herself believing the voice. She had to._

* * *

Inori was about to answer Orianna's question when the Princess abruptly stood up, her chair scooting forcibly backwards. Her face went slack with horror.

"Girls…" Her voice was barely more than a whisper. "Th-there's something really powerful here on the island… And… it's at the Kinomoto Shrine."

* * *

The second the girls were outside, a dark cloud of black could be seen in the direction of the shrine. Pretty Cure, the Princess and Inori all rushed to the shrine as fast as they could. By the time they made it up the stairs, each of them froze.

"Wh-who are you?" Natsumi uttered. The tall, black figure with enormous batwings turned to face Pretty Cure. Her green and red eyes were terrifying and her red lips were curled in an evil smile.

"So nice of you to finally join me, Pretty Cure." Her voice was velvety and smooth, but the girls knew better than to trust her. "It is I, Queen Platania." A red lightning flashed in the black cloud above. Part of the shrine had already been destroyed. And no one could be seen inside.

"Where is Ayame?!" Natsumi yelled.

"Who?"

"If you hurt my friend, you will not get away with that! Girls!" Natsumi readied her compass, her teammates following suit.

"**Pretty Cure! Direction Change!"**

"**The Fiery Southern Bird! Cure Cinder!"  
**"**The Steely Western Tiger! Cure Chrome!"  
**"**The Calm Northern Tortoise! Cure Stream!"  
**"**The Elegant Eastern Dragon! Cure Willow!"**

"**Leading Hearts on the Path of Justice! Compass Pretty Cure!"**

"Pretty Cure!" The girls looked behind them to see four small floating animals racing to the scene.

"Ah, so nice of you to join us, Guardians," Platania said.

"Platania?! How…?" Pagong couldn't finish his thought.

"It really shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Once Lucius passed, his seal became so weak it might as well not even be there anymore. And lets face it… the seals you four placed on me were only support for Lucius's. I've been able to train myself to project most of my essence outside of that prison. And it's time you hand over that brat of a princess."

"How many times are we going to have to say this?" Cinder said, making sure Orianna was behind the four of them. "We'll _never_ give you Orianna!"

"Have it your way then."

Instantly Platania disappeared and reappeared directly in front of Pretty Cure. Her eyes were wild with a wicked excitement. Orbs of menacing red energy formed in her clawed hands and she fired them at the four.

"**Stream Dome!" **Blue water splashed into existence around Pretty Cure in an attempt to protect them. But Platania's power was great, and the orbs went right through the water, one of them hitting Stream in the shoulder, the other hitting Willow in the stomach.

Cinder and Chrome charged for the bat lady and punched at he with all their might. Platania easily blocked the two, one hand blocking Cinder's flaming punches, the other moving quickly to match Chrome's rapid fire jabs. Platania threw her head back in laughter.

"Hahahaha! You Pretty Cure Warriors are weak!" Red lightning cracked from above and slammed into Cinder and Chrome.

"AAAAAAGGGH" the two cried out in agony.

"Chrome!" Stream exclaimed.

"Cinder!" Willow yelled.

"Oh come on. That can't be all it takes." Platania readied another volley of red orbs when suddenly a broom thwacked her in the back. The Metal Queen looked behind her to see a girl in white and red with a wicker broom in her hands. Ayame held the broom like a bat, ready to hit her again.

"Stop hurting my friends!" Ayame's eyes were fierce, but her body trembled in fear. Platania seemed to notice.

"You aren't worth my time." She snapped her fingers and a cloud of black smoke engulfed Ayame, like Noire had done before. When the smoke cleared, Ayame fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Ayame!" Cinder shouted. She got up shakily, but she could still fight. "Girls! We need to give her everything we've got, okay?"

"Okay!" The other three warriors said.

"**Cinder Impact!"**

"**Chrome Javelins!"**

"**Stream Torrent!"**

"**Willow Leaf Storm!"**

Flaming orbs, spears of white, rushing water and glowing teal leaves flew at Platania. They collided with her, exploding into multicolored smoke. The Cures looked on in a desperate hope.

Platania swiped the smoke away, completely unfazed by the attack.

"Pathetic," she mocked. "I really thought you four would be harder to fight, considering the ease with which you're able to take down my Industrialites." Red orbs surrounded Platania. "You know, I didn't always hate Nature. But now… I despise it." The orbs flew outwards and exploded, destroying more of the shrine and any trees or bushes that were on the hill.

"No!" Pretty Cure cried.

"Yes," Platania said. "Nature has an expiration date and I will see to it that it meets its demise on time. Just give me the Princess!"

* * *

From the sidelines, Inori and Orianna watched hopelessly.

"Orianna, please. You must get far away from here," Inori whispered fiercely. Orianna watched the battle before them with horror and grief.

"M-maybe," she breathed. "But what about you, Inori?" She managed to tear her vision away from the fight and looked at Inori with concern.

"I'll… I'll have the guardians to protect me." The huddle of fairies nodded up at the Princess.

"We may not have all of our strength back, but we should have enough power to shield Pretty Cure and Inori," Pagong said.

Orianna looked at each of the Guardians and then at Inori. She shook her head firmly.

"No. I'm staying. This is my partially my fault. I won't abandon them."

* * *

"**Pretty Cure! Stream Wall!"**

The dark red orbs crackled with red electricity as they fought against the wall of rushing water.

"**Pretty Cure! Cinder Flame!"**

"**Pretty Cure! Chrome Cannon!"**

"**Pretty Cure! Willow Overgrowth!"**

The fire swallowed up the white cannonball, fusing into one attack while the roots snaked towards Platania. A red aura formed around her and the finishers evaporated into nothing. Another volley of orbs flew towards Pretty Cure, this time making contact with each girl.

* * *

Inori watched from the sidelines.

"_This must be how Orianna must feel every time she watches them fight,"_ she thought. She felt guilty for not being able to do anything. Pretty Cure kept getting hit with attack after attack from Platania, Inori found herself wincing each time. She had to do something. Before she knew it, she stood up from the bush she was hiding behind and ran out into the battle.

"A-Ah! Inori!" Pagong exclaimed.

"What are you doing?" Orianna shouted.

* * *

Pretty Cure lay on the ground, battered and bruised.

"I have to say, I'm very disappointed in you all. I expected so much more out of you." Platania raised her right arm; an orb instantly appeared, floating an inch or two above her open palm. It began to pulsate, growing in size rapidly as it did so. "This is the end."

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!"

Inori had run out into the battlefield standing in front of Pretty Cure. She had her arms extended outwards and stared down Platania.

"And what does a priestess like you plan to do? Pray?"

"I may not be able to do anything, but I won't let you hurt my friends!"

"Friends? Darling, this isn't even your home." Platania eyed Inori. "Yes, you came from the Valley. A priestess of the Temple. You could be of some use to me. Stand aside or face the consequences."

"No! I won't let you hurt them! You may be right… The Valley was where I was born but…" Inori grit her teeth together. "But that's not my home!"

Pretty Cure all looked up at Inori. Disoriented, they didn't seem to hear everything that was being said.

"Inori… get somewhere safe," Cinder said weakly.

"No! I'm not going to just sit by and watch Platania destroy my… my HOME!"

"Hahaha!" Platania laughed, her tone condescending. "This pathetic island is your home now?"

"Yes it is! Each one of these girls helped me realize that home doesn't just have to be a place. It can be people. They taught me the importance of friendship and hard work and persevering through hard times. They are my home now. And I will _not_ let you HURT THEM!"

Bright yellow light burst upwards in a column around Inori. The Golden Compass flew out of a pocket on Orianna and flew towards Inori. Pale yellow specks of light concentrated into a fixed point before bursting into a four pointed compass needle.

"No… way…" Chrome said.

"Inori-san…" Willow breathed.

"Wh-what is the meaning of this?!" Platania said.

Inori looked at the compass needle and the compass with awe. Her hands seemed to move all on their own, grabbing the two items. She instantly knew what to do.

"**Pretty Cure!"** Inori was in a bubble of pale yellow light. Her clothes disappeared, reveling a yellow leotard underneath. **"Direction Change!"** She placed the Spirit Needle in the indentation on the compass's face. **"Center!"**

Fist sized yellow rocks burst outwards from the compass face as Inori spun around in the void. The rocks collected around her torso, bursting into an off with leotard with wing like shoulder straps. She spun around, white fabric extending outwards from her hips into an asymmetrical hem. Gold light formed around her torso and down the right side of her dress, bursting into a pale yellow vest. Light slid up her arms and formed a pair of long off white gloves that reached mid-bicep.

More light collected around her legs and two orbs of gold connected at the base of her shins, the light bursting off forming long, thigh length socks and a pair of pale pink boots. Inori's hair became undone and glowed with gold light, shooting out of her skull. The light sparkled off in specks of yellow light and her hair was now pale yellow. She collected her long, wavy hair in her hands, like she as gathering it for a ponytail. Gold light burst outward as a pale pink hair tie held the ponytail in place. A pale pink bow formed on her chest and the compass, flying downward like a small golden comet, attached itself to her left hip. Pale pink ribbons tied themselves around the compass and formed a huge, limp bow on her hip.

Inori spun around and struck a peaceful pose, one hand resting on her chest, the other flung outwards to her side.

"**The Sacred Central Dragon! Cure Terra!"**

Pretty Cure stared at the newly minted Cure in front of them.

"Inori-san is…" said Cinder

"The fifth…" said Chrome.

"Pretty Cure…" said Stream.

"Warrior?" said Willow.

"A fifth Pretty Cure?!" Platania roared. Terra, finally realizing what had happened, spun around, frantically inspecting her new form.

"I'm... what?"

"If you're a Pretty Cure Warrior, then die!" Platania fired another volley of red orbs in Terra's direction. Instinctively, Terra knelt to the ground.

"**Terra Block!" **Short pillars of stone burst up from the ground, blocking every single orb Platania threw.

"GGGGAAAAAAAAAHHH." Platania charged for Terra, and Terra found herself charging for Platania. The two moved in blurs, exchanging and blocking blows. The yellow Cure brought her arm back, then swiftly thrust her open palm forward, hitting Platania square in the chest. The black bat lady flew backwards, tumbling after hitting the ground. But she was quick to recover.

"Try hitting me from the sky!" She beat her massive wings and shot upwards. Red lighting crackled downwards to the ground, but Terra managed to get out of the way just in time.

"I can handle that, too!" Terra's hands glowed with yellow light and she spun around, her hands leaving a trail of light, forming a ring around her body. A second ring form as the first ring began to tilt upwards, the two forming an "X" shape around Terra. **"Terra Stone Edge!"**

The rings broke up into jagged rock shapes and flew towards Platania in the sky, hitting her in the wings, just as Terra had aimed for. Platania fell pathetically to the ground.

"It's time to end this!" Terra said. She grabbed her compass from the ribbon on her side. Instantly it began to glow with yellow light. She aimed the face of the compass to the ground, which suddenly began to rumble.

"**Pretty Cure… Terra Fissure!"**

A jagged crack shot outwards from Terra's position, ending just at where Platania was struggling to get up. The ground opened wide, and a burst of pale yellow light erupted upwards. Platania was engulfed in the light for only a brief second before she shot upwards into the sky.

"I'll remember this, Cure Terra!"

* * *

The golden light restored any damage Platania had done to the Kinomoto Shrine and surrounding area. Terra turned around and ran to her teammates. They were standing, albeit hunched over, thankfully. But they were still visibly injured from their fight with Platania.

"Are you four alright?" Terra asked with concern.

"Cure Terra!" Chrome exclaimed, shuffling over to the new Cure. "You were awesome!" Chrome draped her arm around her, probably for support, but Terra's smile couldn't be stopped.

"Who would have thought that quiet, shy Inori would end up being our fifth member?" Willow said. "I seriously almost thought it was going to be Ayame, the way she thwacked Platania in the back like she did."

"Oh! Ayame!" Terra turned around in Ayame's direction. Orianna was knelt over the sleeping girl, the Princess and the guardians tending to her already. "She's okay," Terra said, relieved.

"The team's finally complete!" Cinder met Terra's gaze, her hand extended. "Cure Terra, welcome to the team!" Terra looked down at Cinder's hand then back up. She felt her cheeks burn with an even bigger smile. She clasped Cinder's hand with her own.

"I won't let you down!"

* * *

Preview:

Natsumi: Man, that Platania sure was tough!  
Aki: I say we deserve a good break from the Machine Empire!  
Fuyuko: And what good timing!  
Haruka: Summer break here we come!  
Inori: Wait… I just became a Pretty Cure and we're taking a break already?  
Orianna: Lighten up and enjoy it while it lasts!

Next time on _Compass Pretty Cure!:_ "The sun, the ocean the beach! Summer Break, start!"


	18. Summer Break Start!

The tension was practically tangible in the Control Room. The four Generals stood around the pillar in their usual fashion, but none of them were meeting the almost burning glow of Platania's eyes.

"None of you thought to tell me that a fifth Pretty Cure was going to be born?"

Damaged from her battle, Platania's voice had reverted almost completely back to its original, robotic drone.

"I admit…" Ophelia said after a pregnant pause. "The golden attacks they were using were… not something we car… thought… to look into."

"And yet clearly they were building power to bring about a new member. And you all did nothing to stop them or even care to notify me about it."

"Well," Blanc said. "I did notice its activation hands on… I had created an Industrialite that had the ability to duplicate itself and the compass activated an- AAAAAUUUUUGH."

Blanc's body surged with red electricity, and his hulking figure crumpled to the floor.

"AND YOU THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT?" Platania roared, showing some control over her voice. No one said anything. No one went to Blanc's aide. The three other Generals were too terrified to move. "Is there anything else anyone needs to tell me about?" Platania asked.

Noire felt herself shrink in her spot. She eyed Blanc at her peripheral. She didn't dare speak up. She balled her shaking hands into fists to try and calm herself.

"No Your Highness" Jonah and Ophelia said in unison. Noire was still looking away from the pillar when she felt eyes on her. Ophelia was staring intently at her.

"N-no Your Highness," she mumbled.

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure – Episode 18: The sun, the beach, the ocean! Summer Break, start!_

* * *

Soft chatter floated throughout Beachside Café.

"I'm soooooo happy it's summer break!" Natsumi said, stretching upwards in her chair. "No school for a whole six weeks."

"Just make sure to do your homework a little each day," Fuyuko said. There was a collective groan from the other girls at the table at Fuyuko's mentioning of schoolwork.

"Fuyu-nee, summer break just started. Don't remind us of that awful task…" Aki said, leaning forward and resting her chin on her forearms.

"Wait, summer break?" Inori asked. "What is that?"

"Oh right," Haruka said. "Well we start school in April and that usually runs until late July, and then we have six weeks of summer break to just relax after all that hard work."

"They give you designated breaks? The temple never did that… It was work, work, work constantly," Inori sighed.

"How is it by the way?" Orianna piped up. "Not being in that temple anymore?"

Inori was silent for a moment before answering, her face scrunched up in thought.

"I will admit, when I arrived in late… May was it? It was kind of a shock. But I'm glad that Ayame let me work in her family shrine. That helped keep me busy and not just loaf around all day in my room at Haruka's. But it's different. A good kind of different though."

"Well it's nice to see you adjusting okay then," Fuyuko said, smiling.

"Okay guys," Natsumi said, changing the subject backt to summer. "We've got six weeks to do whatever we want, besides homework. Do you know what we need to do? Do you know what is the one thing that is quintessentially summer?"

The girls looked at Natsumi quizzically.

"BEACH DAY!"

* * *

It was business as usual after Platania dismissed the Generals. To the surprise of no one, she told Jonah to stick around while they discussed their next move. Noire and Ophelia glared at the pillar and the Mechanic from across the control room. A few underlings had helped Blanc to his feet and to his chambers.

"She's terrifying," Noire said, breaking the tense silence.

"Indeed," Ophelia said curtly. "She's equally as infuriating. Keeping secrets from us and yet reprimanding Blanc the way she did." Ophelia's orange eyes burned with anger more than normal. Noire shifted uncomfortably next to Ophelia at the mention of secrets. "What's bothering you?" Her tone changed to concerned.

"W-what?"

"Noire, ever since you asked me why I'm fighting for Platania, you've been acting weird. Actually, even before that. Don't think I haven't noticed. You can tell me." Ophelia's voice softened as she placed a gentle hand on Noire's arm, rubbing it softly.

"Well… I didn't say anything because of what happened to Blanc, but… The Princess." Noire paused, she half expected Ophelia to push, but she knew her girlfriend wouldn't. She swallowed before continuing. "I had managed to get ahold of her. Like physically, I had her wrist in my hand… And suddenly there was this flash of bright light."

"Did she hurt you?" Ophelia asked, not attempting to hide the concern.

"Only for a moment my hand felt like it was burning. I returned to the Mother Ship immediately after. Once I got back here it wasn't hurting anymore… But it was strange. Every time I looked at my hand I could hear this… wind."

"What kind of wind?"

"It was… calm and peaceful. Like it was blowing through a field of grass or something. And… For a while I enjoyed it. It felt nice to hear that wind."

"'For a while?'"

"I can't hear it anymore. When I look at my hand I don't hear it. And because it felt so nice to hear, because I realized I didn't hate nature… I was wondering why I was doing this."

"Well, for what it's worth," Ophelia started. "I wouldn't dare let that witch lay a finger on you." Ophelia cupped Noire's cheek in her hand. "And secondly, I'm glad you told me all of this." Noire felt a surge of warmth in her chest. She looked into Ophelia's eyes. Usually they were so intense, but whenever they had these private moments, they softened. The anger was just barely noticeable. She wanted to keep that anger at bay as much as she could. Noire finally had an answer to the question that had been plaguing her for weeks.

"Well… The thing is… I think I've found my reason," Noire said. Quickly, she rose up on her tiptoes and kissed Ophelia.

* * *

"Beeeeeeeaaaaccccchhh dddaaaaaaayyyy!" Natsumi said, running out into the pale yellow sand. There were numerous other families lining the beach with multicolored umbrellas and towels laid out. There were even some holes dug in the wetter sand to put huge coolers in.

"We live on an island… every day is beach day though isn't it?" Haruka asked. "I even live on a private beach now." She was absentmindedly pulling on the fake bow in the center of her bikini top.

"But we don't always go to the beach during _summer_!" Natsumi said excitedly, already in the process of sticking her own large umbrella in the sand. It went in with a clean _shhhk._

"She does have a point!" Orianna said, the towel in her hands flapping lazily in the summer breeze as she tried to lay it flat on the sand. "And besides, I've actually never had a beach day!"

"Neither have I," Inori said. "This sounds like a lot of fun, to be honest!" She walked over next to the Princess and pulled out her own, pale yellow towel from the bag slung on her shoulder. She turned around and marveled at the wide, blue ocean in front of her.

"Geez they really didn't let you do anything at that temple," Aki said. She was the only one of the group not wearing a swimsuit. Instead she chose to wear a white spaghetti strapped shirt with a dark green undershirt and a pair of thin capri shorts. She shifted her weight as she hefted her easel into a more secure position.

"Are you not going to swim?" Inori asked.

"Nah, I prefer to draw."

"Is Ayame-san going to join us?" Fuyuko said, laying out her own, dark blue towel, her sheer sarong flapping lazily in the breeze.

"Probably not," Natsumi said, standing up from laying out everything she had in her large beach bag. "It's the first day of summer and lots of people go to the shrine. So she's going to be tied up all day, most likely."

"Enough chit chat!" Orianna exclaimed. "Let's get this beach day underway! I'm ready to tan!"

* * *

"Hey Pagong," Tsubame chirped, breaking the silence in Inori's bedroom. "Do you maybe think that Lucius improperly passed on his powers?"

"Oh yes, I've been wondering something similar, myself," Daenarys said.

"What'd'ya mean improperly?" Tipu huffed.

"Well I just mean… The Princess hasn't showed any signs of her powers waking up. I know we have to properly awaken her at the temple, but… I'm beginning to worry," the bird chirped.

"We must give her time. She knows to come to us if she feels or sees anything out of the ordinary," the tortoise said.

"But it's been weeks…" Tipu pointed out. "An' that princess ain't said nothin' yet."

"While this is true, we just have to sit tight and remain patient. We cannot force this. Lucius knew he was out of time and still he waited until literally the last minute to do something about his successor. This is no one's fault but his." Pagong didn't try to hide the annoyance and frustration in his voice. Realizing so, Pagong took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. "We can only be patient," he repeated.

"I'll take your word for it then. Since you're the expert on Golden Ones," Tsubame said.

* * *

"So everyone just… sits around on the beach for six weeks?" Inori asked. Aki let out a laugh at her question.

"Well by the end of the summer, some people certainly are sunburned enough that it seems that way." She kept a faint smile on her face as she sketched the shoreline. "But no, we just get six weeks off from school. Since we've been working for so long and so hard."

"Oh…" Inori said.

"You almost seem disappointed?" Aki asked, keeping her eyes locked on her sketch but turning her body in Inori's direction, to her left.

"I don't know what I feel. Other than clearly I've got a lot to learn about this place. Before now I was just either working at the shrine or working on the compass. And now I'm a Pretty Cure warrior and there's so much I need to learn about that, too… I feel at home here… But… it's just a bit to take in, the sudden change in priorities. I guess some of the reality of everything is beginning to sink in and I'm not sure how to act or feel about it."

"Ah, you'll be fine," Aki said. "Just got to be patient, y'know?"

"I suppose so."

* * *

Jonah had been sent to work almost immediately after being dismissed from their talk with Platania. Her monotonous words rung in their ears.

"_We need to be prepared for any other extra power Pretty Cure might gain. We need stronger monsters to fight them with while we prepare the Valley still. We need to stall them."_

"_What do you suggest I do?" Jonah asked._

"_It has been stewing in my mind for a while. Industrialites are enough for now, but they won't be eventually. We need to make them stronger. We need to make them better. We need to make them something entirely new."_

"_Okay, how do I go about doing this? What would you have me do?" Jonah's words were almost as flat as Platania's. Their lazy green eyes stared at the pillar before them. But Jonah had to admit, she was right. And they had been thinking something similar for a while now._

"_I will try and produce a new form of metal for this new monsters. One that is stronger than Industrialite sheet metal. What I want you to do is to think of a new way we can distribute the new monster."_

"_I will do so," Jonah droned._

"_Dismissed." And with that, the red glow from behind the eyes in the pillar before Jonah died away._

Jonah had let their hands work absentmindedly while they thought of Platania's order. The Mechanic had only made something nonsensical. They grumbled to themself as they dismantled the ambiguous contraption.

"How to make this better...?"

* * *

Inori stared at the girls before her lounging in the sun. She couldn't help but think about how much their outfits for the day reflected their personalities.

Haruka had put on a teal, spaghetti strapped, two-piece bikini and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She was on her back and her head was resting on her hands. A thick pair of black sunglasses was covering her eyes, so Inori couldn't be sure if she was sleeping or awake.

Natsumi had on a pale red top and a bright red pair of swim trunks. She wasn't sleeping, but she was staring thoughtfully at the umbrella casting shade over her face. Was something bothering her…?

Fuyuko was on her stomach, flipping through pages of a baking cookbook. Her navy one-piece had white polka dots in a pattern all over, and she had a sheer sarong tied around her waist. Her long, thick, black hair was draped over her shoulder, a white scrunchie holding it together just at her shoulder.

Orianna, however, was most certainly asleep and almost audibly snoring. Her pale pink swimsuit had threads of shimmering silver throughout it. A truly royal bathing suit.

The priestess wasn't sure how they all could just be so content with lounging on their coveted beach day. Inori, unsure of what to do next, shot up out of her beach chair and almost shouted what she said.

"I think we should play a game." She blushed as she realized how loudly she had spoken. Haruka, not asleep after all, pulled her sunglasses off her face and tilted her head upwards to look at Inori behind her.

"I have been dying for someone to suggest something, but I didn't want to say anything myself," she said. She quickly stood up and dusted the sand off her legs. "Anybody up for a game of beach volleyball? I brought a volleyball."

Natsumi snapped out of her trance, a smile widening on her face immediately.

"Yes! Beach volleyball is the best! Aki, you have to play so it can be three-on-three."

Aki rolled her eyes at Natsumi's request, but was smiling all the same. "I guess if you really need me to…"

"What's beach volleyball?" Orianna and Inori asked in unison.

"Well… I don't really know the exact rules…" Natsumi started. "But I know the gist of it is to hit a ball back and forth over a net. You can't let it hit the ground on your side. If that does happen, the other team gets a point."

"And you can only either use the sides of your hands," Haruka said, lacing her fingers together and facing the sides of her thumbs outwards. "Or the tips of your fingers to hit the ball."

"But you can use your full hand when you spike the ball," Natsumi said.

"I don't know what any of this means, but I'm down for a game!" Orianna exclaimed.

"I guess I'll get the hang of it if we play…" Inori said, unsure but excited about learning more all the same.

* * *

The girls managed to find a public volleyball net some yards away from where they had their things. Haruka and Natsumi knew the most about the game, so it was decided that they would be the team captains. Fuyuko and Inori went on Natsumi's team while Aki and Orianna went on Haruka's team.

"Alright!" Natsumi exclaimed. "Let's play!" She hefted the ball up with her left hand and jumped, her hand slapping the ball towards the other side of the net.

Haruka shot into action, instantly hitting the ball back over the side of the net. Fuyuko scrambled for a moment before hitting the ball back over the net.

"Nice Fuyuko!" Natsumi encouraged.

"Aki, this is you!" Haruka said. Aki frantically tried to get directly under the ball, but sadly, when it came time to hit the ball back over the net, she hadn't centered herself correctly and hit the ball off to her side. The ball hit the sand with a dull "_fft_."

"Woo hoo! Point for us!" Natsumi cheered.

"So even if you try to hit the ball back over, and you're unable to, the other team gets a point?" Inori asked.

"That's how it works... At least that's how I play the game," Natsumi gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Nice try though, Aki."

"Sorry," the artist mumbled.

"Don't worry about it! It just gives us a reason to try and get a point on them, then!" Orianna said, a fire in her eyes. "TO WAR!" She thrust her fist in the air before charging back into the spot Haruka had told her to stand in.

The game was on.

* * *

Noire had volunteered to try and attack Pretty Cure this time. She didn't want to spend any more time in the Mother Ship; for fear of Platania somehow figuring out she had information she wasn't giving up.

She thought back to her conversation with Ophelia and gave a small smile. For so long she hadn't realized what she was fighting for, even though it had been under her nose this whole time. She didn't care about Platania's personal vendetta, whatever it was.

As long as she got to fight along side Ophelia, she was fine. And if she got to crush Pretty Cure along side her? Well that just sweetened the deal. Whatever Ophelia's reasons were for this battle had become her own.

She had to admit, nature had its beautiful parts. But Noire couldn't help but realize what the Machine Empire could do to build if those pesky trees were cleared away, how the flora and fauna would last forever if they were built out of metal or made into automatons.

"We'll get you, Pretty Cure," she said to herself. "One day… we'll clear all these worlds of the unnecessary and obsolete."

* * *

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO!" Haruka laughed obnoxiously. "That's game!" she shouted. "You guys put up a good effort, but clearly you couldn't beat us. We're just too good."

"Hey you just got lucky!" Fuyuko snapped, uncharacteristically fuming at their loss. When she noticed the confused looks in her direction, her cheeks flushed and she looked down, tapping her index fingers together. "I… I mean as long as everyone had fun."

"Anyway…" Natsumi said. "I know I had fun."

"It was fun to learn about," Inori said, panting slightly, her heart beating hard.

"I… I don't know if I loved that…" Orianna said, out of breath. "Too much… running around…"

"Well I know you'll _love_ this," a voice said.

The girls all looked above them to find Noire floating, a malicious smirk on her face. She was spinning a sheet of metal in between her two thumbs. She looked down at them and flung the metal down. It managed to fold itself into a scorpion and by the time it hit the ground, it was pulsating with purple electricity.

"Industrialite! Enemy of Nature! Take your form!"

There was an explosion of black energy around the metal scorpion and in an instant, it was a massive monster with glowing eyes and razor sharp claws.

"Girls!" Natsumi said.

"**Pretty Cure! Direction Change!"**

"**The Fiery Southern Bird! Cure Cinder!"  
**"**The Steely Western Tiger! Cure Chrome!"  
**"**The Calm Northern Tortoise! Cure Stream!"  
**"**The Elegant Eastern Dragon! Cure Willow!"  
**"**The Sacred Central Dragon! Cure Terra!"**

"**Leading Hearts on the Path of Justice! Compass Pretty Cure!"**

All the girls jumped up in the air except Chrome and Cinder. Blurs of white and red charged at the scorpion monster.

"**Chrome Iron Fist!"**

"**Cinder Impact!"**

The two cures slammed their fists into the huge, metallic claws. After some smoke cleared, the girls realized their attacks had done nothing. The scorpion brought its left claw backwards and swiped the two Cures out of the way.

"Chrome! Cinder!" Stream cried, heading in their direction. Willow, however, came down from above onto the scorpion, her heel digging into its back. It hit the sand, sending a cloud of beige into the air.

"Take that you oversized bug!" Willow exclaimed, victory ringing in her voice. She didn't, however, take into account the massive tail above her. The scorpion slammed its tail down, hitting Willow square in the back.

"AAAUUGH," she cried, colliding into the sand herself.

"Willow!" Terra cried. The yellow Cure had only managed to jump out of the way at the start of the battle, watching hopelessly as her teammates charged headfirst. She almost seemed frozen with fear. She could feel her body shaking, her heart pounding, and the sweat slide down the side of her face.

"**T-Terra Quaking!" **Terra placed her hands on the ground, and the sand all around her and the monster began to buzz with life. But a short second later, the sand stopped buzzing and became still. "Wh-what? Why didn't my attack work?" The only thing that Terra's attack did do, it seemed, was annoy the scorpion. The hulking figure clacked as it repositioned itself right in front of Terra. The new Cure felt herself drop to her knees.

"SSSSCCCCRREEEEEEEEE!" It roared before scuttling forwards.

"Terra, look out!" Orianna cried from the sidelines.

"**Terra Block!" **A slab of rock burst upwards from the sand, hitting the scorpion where its chin would be, causing it to recoil backwards. "Hey… I did something…"

"Keep up the good work!" Cinder cried, her body engulfed in swirling flames as she ran towards the Industrialite. **"Cinder Rocket!" **Cinder launched herself forward, crossing her arms in front of her face in an X as she flew towards the scorpion. She collided into its side, bright orange and red flames exploding from the impact. The scorpion was sent flying sideways, further down the beach. "Don't worry about your fighting skills right now," Cinder extended her hand. "That move I just did? I wasn't good at using right away either."

"This thing gets some getting used to," Chrome said, walking up.

"But we have faith in you," Stream added.

"You've got nothing to worry about as long as you're working the four of us." Willow back flipped her way back to the group and pat Terra on the back. Terra smiled, taking Cinder's hand and standing up.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence… I didn't realize how scary this truly is… But I feel better now." Terra turned around to face the scorpion. "I'll handle this."

Terra shot forward, running faster than she ever had. The scorpion seemed to notice her determination and charged forward as well.

"**TERRA… QUAKING!" **Terra slowed down and thrust her palms on the ground. The effect was instantaneous this time. The ground began to shake violently, sending sand flying everywhere. Even the waves began to churn and froth with the mini-earthquake. It certainly was enough to jar the scorpion into acting helplessly.

"NO!" Noire yelled from the air above. "Don't let her trip you up! Keep going and fight her!" The scorpion was still a little shaky from the quake, but it turned its attention back to Terra and charged onced again.

* * *

Noire silently cursed herself as she realized she had done nothing since the battle started. She turned her attention back to the Princess just standing on the sidelines, doing nothing. Like always. She flew towards her, grabbing Orianna by the wrist as she did weeks before.

"Hey! Let me go!" Orianna shouted, digging her heels into the sand. Somehow, she was strong enough to stop the Black General from flying off with her.

"I can't! Platania needs you in order for her plans to work. If I can't bring you back then…" Noire looked down at the ground.

"You'll disappoint her? Why are you fighting for her anyway? I don't get it. Why are any of you fighting for her? Why do you hate anything that's not made out of metal?"

"I'm not fighting for her!" Noire shouted, squeezing her eyes shut. "I… I only joined this fight for Ophelia… I… I haven't always hated the natural world… But I don't have to tell you anything." Noire's tone changed bitter at the end. "Just cooperate with me and come back to the Empire." She started to pull the Princess once more, but Orianna tugged backwards, and stronger this time.

"I can't do that," she said. Orianna's words were strong and certain. When Noire looked into the Princess's eyes, she was met with a terrifying gaze. It was so determined, steely and… yet it still managed to express kindness and a certainty that this young girl knew what she was doing and believed in it. Noire almost felt jealous. A thin veil of gold light began to shimmer around Orianna.

The Black General let go of the Princess instantly, her own face twisted in fear.

"We'll get you one day," Noire said through grit teeth. She poofed a way in a cloud of black smoke.

* * *

"**Pretty Cure! Terra Fissure!"**

Terra angled her compass to face the ground. A thin line appeared and shot outwards, zigzagging towards the scorpion. Once it reached the scorpion, the line opened up and yellow light burst upwards from the ground, swallowing the Industrialite. A moment later, the light exploded into yellow smoke.

The wind blew away the smoke and the small origami figure fell to the ground and shattered into nothingness.

* * *

"Way to go Inori!" Natsumi said, hugging her newest teammate. "Taking down your first Inustrialite like a pro." Inori felt her cheeks flush.

"It was a thing of beauty," Haruka said.

"Thanks. I definitely couldn't have done it without you four. I don't know what came over me I just…" Inori cut herself off.

"Don't worry about it," Aki said. "We all understand. This isn't something any of us expected to be doing. And it's not like this stuff happens regularly to ordinary people like us."

"Yeah, you're right with that," Inori giggled.

"Hey," Fuyuko said, cutting through the happy mood with a somber tone. "Girls look at Orianna." She pointed behind them to show the Princess frozen in her spot, a veil of gold light swirling around her.

"Orianna?" Natsumi asked worriedly. The girls rushed over to Orianna and Natsumi began to gently shake Orianna's shoulders. The gold light winked out around her and Orianna blinked rapidly.

"Wh-what? Did we win?" she asked.

"Yeah, we won… But are you okay?" Aki asked.

"I was talking to Noire and then… All of the sudden you guys were here."

"That's weird…" Haruka muttered.

"Do you need to speak with Pagong?" Inori asked.

"I… Don't think so. I feel fine right now. But… if I do that again… I guess I'll need to see him."

"Have you had any weird dreams lately?" Natsumi asked. Orianna squinted her eyes, as if both trying to remember and trying to figure out if Natsumi knew something she didn't.

"No… Not that I can think of," Orianna lied.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent relaxing on the beach once more. The girls played _suikawari, _where they tried to break a watermelon blindfolded and some more beach volleyball before deciding it was time to go home.

"Well I think our beach day was a total success!" Natsumi said, wet hair from the shower and clinging to her cheeks.

"I certainly learned a lot and had a lot of fun," Inori said, a smile on her face.

"That's great to hear!" said Fuyuko.

"Can we do this again tomorrow?" Inori asked eagerly.

"Maybe!" Natsumi said. "Don't want to over do it though, because then we might get tired of going to the beach."

"I know what we can do!" Aki piped up. "Let's go yukata shopping soon! The midnight festival is next week!"

* * *

Preview:

Aki: A thousand years ago, Shizenshima witnessed its biggest meteor shower ever!  
Fuyuko: I can't wait to eat yakisoba!  
Aki: It was a spectacular sight for everyone to see! But this night was special.  
Fuyuko: And shaved ice!  
Aki: A meteor landed on Shizenshima's highest mountain!  
Fuyuko: And takoyaki! And play festival games!  
Aki: Shizenshima's people saw it as a blessing and now we celebrate the Midnight Festival every year!  
Fuyuko: I just want to eat all the festival sweets!

Next time on _Compass Pretty Cure!: _"Serene Plain: Inori and the Midnight Festival!"


	19. Aki, Inori and the Midnight Festival!

_It was a special occasion for Aki to be up past her bedtime. She rocked side to side ever so slightly next to her grandmother and Fuyuko as they sat out on the porch, staring at the star speckled, black, night sky._

"_What're we out here for grandma?" Seven-year-old Aki asked._

"_Are we star gazing?" asked Fuyuko._

"_A little of both." Aki's grandmother – Fuyuko's great aunt – took a quick swig of tea before continuing. "There's supposed to be a meteor shower tonight and I managed to convince your mothers to show you. Did you know, meteor showers are considered a blessing here on Shizenshima?"_

"_They are?" Aki asked, totally and utterly intrigued. Fuyuko was listening, but her slightly gaping mouth, and eyes glued to the sky suggested that she didn't share the same interest level as her cousin._

"_Oh yes… Have I told you the story of the Midnight Festival? It's coming up soon."_

* * *

_Compass Pretty Cure – Episode 19: Careful Tiger, Serene Plain: Aki, Inori and the Midnight Festival!_

* * *

The shopping district was alive with the hustle and bustle of festival prep. Most of the shops were putting up special banners with trailing stars to signify the festival's theme. Some were even putting up makeshift extensions to their shops to make enough room for all the festival customers.

"This sure is a busy time of the year, isn't it?" Natsumi pondered aloud, her head turning from side to side, inspecting all the shops.

"Well yeah, tomorrow's the Midnight Festival. It's what the tourists come for," Aki said, her hood casting a shadow over her eyes. Even in the summer heat, Aki kept her cardigan with her. Big crowds made her a little nervous, but her love for the Midnight Festival outweighed her anxiety.

"Oh that's right, I almost forgot," Natsumi said. "I've only been living here for sixteen years… You think I'd remember something like that."

"What's the Midnight Festival again?" Orianna asked.

"It's like the Celebration of the Four Directions back in the Valley," said Inori. "Right?" The priestess turned to Aki, her eyes asking for approval. Aki had mentioned it the week before and the two had since spoken, very briefly, about the festival.

"Yeah, pretty much. If that's a big gathering of partying, food and fireworks."

"Ooooooooooh," Orianna said. "I get it now. Back home my dad threw a big ball for that. I don't really know what our loyal subjects did while I was dancing the night away, but the night always ended with fireworks!"

"A Celebration of the Four Directions? Like a celebration for the Guardians?" Fuyuko asked.

"Well yes, and no." Everyone looked to Inori. "It started as a celebration for the Guardians, but it ended up being a celebration for the Pretty Cure warriors that aided them in times of need as well."

"There have been past Pretty Cures?" Haruka asked.

"Well… yes… You didn't think you were all the first ones, did you?" Inori said, her mouth gaping in disbelief, her eyebrows skyrocketing upwards.

"Well… I guess it never crossed our minds that there would have been Pretty Cure before us…" Natsumi rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, cheeks ever so slightly pink.

"Oh, even I knew that!" Orianna puffed out her chest with pride. The other girls giggled at her.

"What's the significance of this festival though? What are you celebrating?" Inori asked Aki. A huge smile spread across Aki's face. She was waiting for one of the two girls from the Valley to ask.

"I'll tell you while we go yukata shopping!"

* * *

Aki was never one for frilly dresses or ribbons in her hair when she was growing up. No, she preferred paint, dirt and mud and baggy clothing. But every year, she allowed herself to indulge in fashion as she picked out her yukata.

Ayame had joined the girls after her shift at the shrine, and all seven girls were wondering around the shop, chattering semi quietly while they pulled the yukatas out from their racks. Inori and Aki were standing together, talking about the differences in the festivals they were so used to.

"Yeah there are tons of games, and lots of food for people to eat. And a lot of people go to the shrines to pray or get their fortunes read… You know, stuff you do already but it's really super busy." Aki pulled out a yukata and draped it across her body. "Nah, not this one."

"Yes, Mr. Kinomoto has asked me to help out for a few hours tomorrow. I'm kind of excited to see so many people at the shrine, honestly, regardless of how busy it gets." Inori was only scanning the yukatas, never really finding anything that caught her eye. "People only came to the temple during the celebration to meditate or pray or give offerings to the Guardians and the Golden One. This festival sounds so much more exciting than the one back in the Valley!"

"It is so exciting. It's my favorite time of the year. But I don't really care so much for the festivities as I do the history of the festival."

"Oh right, you were going to tell me about that right? What is the history for this festival?"

"Well… I'll tell you how my grandma told me…" Aki started.

* * *

"_Shizenshima is an old island. Would you believe it if I told you it was over a thousand years old?"_

"_A _thousand_ years old? No way, nothing is that old," Young Aki exclaimed. Fuyuko still didn't seem to be all that invested in what her great aunt was saying, but it was clear the young girl was listening._

"_Oh but it is. You see, a thousand years ago, the people of Shizenshima didn't really have a lot of people living on it. It was barren and not a lot of plants and vegetables grew in the soil. The people didn't know what to do. They mostly had to rely on fishing."_

"_Wow…" Aki breathed._

"_One night, so the story goes, a few islanders were out on the water. No one really knows why, it's dangerous to be out on the water at night after all." The tone in Hazuki's voice let Aki know she was also trying to give her granddaughter a lesson. "But anyway, they were out on the water and one night, they saw a mysterious star fly across the horizon."_

"_A shooting star!"_

"_Yes, Akiko, a shooting star indeed. The old islanders, however, didn't know that. But they saw that star fly across the sky and knew it was an omen of good fortune. They prayed for rain, a good harvest, for the soil to be fertile."_

"_And did all that happen?" Aki asked eagerly._

"_Not right away. A few weeks later, however, on a similar night, the night became full of shooting stars. That's what we now call a meteor shower."_

"_That's what we're going to watch tonight, right?" Fuyuko asked, finally showing some interest in Hazuki's story._

"_That's correct, Fuyuko. We're going to watch a meteor shower tonight." She pat Fuyuko's head, her wrinkled lips curling up in a gentle smile. "But this meteor shower that the ancient islanders saw was full of shooting stars, it lasted for hours. Then, all of the sudden, the islanders noticed one was flying in their direction." Hazuki looked up at the sky. A single meteor had already shot across the sky. "Make a wish girls. The show is about to start."_

_The three were silent for a while before Hazuki started speaking again._

"_An enormous meteor was flying towards Shizenshima and it crash landed at the highest point on the island. The islanders found it and began praying again for good fortune."_

"_Did it happen this time?" Aki asked._

"_Not right away, again. But a few days after the meteor crashed, things turned out for the better. Rain came, the soil turned fertile. Everyone's fortune turned for the better. And now, we celebrate the Midnight Festival to celebrate the good fortune the heavens granted our island, and pray for another year of good luck."_

_Just as Hazuki finished speaking, the three of them turned to face the sky as the meteor shower began._

* * *

"Wow! What a wonderful story… I had no idea Shizenshima had such a history." Inori had completely forgotten that she was supposed to be shopping. She was truly fascinated by Aki's story. "That just makes me excited for tomorrow!"

"Right? It was my favorite story ever, and I made my grandma tell it to me so many times. I never got sick of it. I just… I really loved learning about the history of such a significant event for the island. It always inspires me, too. I always produce the most art during the Midnight Festival."

"Hey, are you two done trying on yukatas?" Ayame asked, walking over to Inori and Aki. The two started slightly, like they had forgotten that other people were in the store with them.

"Oh, we haven't even found ones we like yet," Aki said, cheeks flushing.

"Well you two better hurry up then. We've all found the ones we want to wear, and we're ready to check out!"

* * *

Jonah eyed the contraption in their hands. The Mechanic had produced something that looked similarly to a nail gun. It was heavy in their hand, and it was only a prototype, but Jonah smirked.

"I think this will do." Jonah turned to the sheets of metal that were lying around their workshop. Platania had created them or found them from a place she wouldn't tell Jonah, but none of them worked so far. None of them had the familiar, pulsating feeling of dark energy flowing through them. Jonah had tried all of them except for one.

It was plain enough, just a single rectangle of white metal with an eerie blue sheen to it. Not wanting to waste the whole piece of metal, Jonah split it in half as if they were tearing a sheet of paper. Jonah rolled up the piece and managed to form it into a long, slender needle.

They placed the needle in the gun and meticulously adjusted a few pegs and knobs on the side before turning to the target at the far end of their workshop. Jonah closed one eye as they took aim. With a swift pull of the trigger, the needle shot out and landed on the target. Blue energy cackled around it before fizzing out. A result of it being cut in half, Jonah guessed.

But it was the biggest reaction Jonah had gotten from the metal so far. The Mechanic hefted the other piece of metal in their free hand, trying to get a feel for any kind of energy living within it.

Blue electricity sparked instantaneously, as if showing off for Jonah.

"You're the one… The gun needs work, but this is it… This should easily surpass the Industrialites."

* * *

The next day, Inori swept the entrance to the shrine absentmindedly. She kept thinking back to the story Aki told her about the festival and how every year, at midnight, the festival ended with a huge display of fireworks. It was the first time she felt truly excited to be living on Shizenshima. She wondered what other stories she could learn about this place...

"Yo, Inori." Ayame's voice snapped Inori back to reality.

"Oh, yes?" Inori said, starting a little before turning to face Ayame. "What's up?"

"Are you okay? You've been sweeping the same spot for about ten minutes. I think it's clean."

"Oh, sorry." Inori looked down, her cheeks flaring with heat. "I was just… day dreaming I guess."

"Ah, yeah, I do that, too. Anyway, it's about five o'clock. My dad says you're all good here. Our evening shift workers are here. Go have fun at the festival!"

"But, aren't you going to come, too?" Inori felt a pang of guilt in her chest to be leaving while Ayame stayed behind to work during such a fun time of the year.

"My dad needs me to stick around for a couple more hours, but I will definitely be joining you and the gang later for the fireworks!" Ayame's smile was big and excited. Seeing it made Inori feel better, if just a little bit, about leaving.

"Okay, well I'll see you later then!"

* * *

The Shopping District in Shizenshima Central was bustling with activity. The thin walkways were jam packed with people. Some were in line to buy food, others were playing games and almost everyone had a smile on their face.

"Who's ready to have a fun festival?" Natsumi asked as the girls entered the festival area. Her crimson yukata sleeves swung in the air as she jokingly marched forward.

"I know I am! Oh, and remember," Aki said. "The best place to see the fireworks is from the highest point on the mountain, where the meteor is."

"The meteor actually exists?" Haruka and Inori both said at the same time, but with vastly different tones. Inori sounded excited while Haruka sounded like she couldn't believe it.

"It's really quite amazing to look at," Fuyuko said. "I think the elements have weathered it from its original size, but the meteor still is on the mountain. No one dares to move it for fear of bringing bad luck on the island."

"That's amazing…" Orianna breathed. "The culture behind this festival really is so fascinating… I want to do something similar when I get back home! I bet my parents would love to have a celebration like this." Orianna pretended not to notice the quick exchange of concerned looks between her friends.

"I'm sure the people of the Valley would love a celebration like this," Inori assured the Princess. "But enough talking! Let's go have some fun!"

* * *

"Mmmm… what's the point of this game again?" Orianna said, her brows furrowed in confusion. The scene before her was strange. Natsumi, Haruka, Aki, Fuyuko and Ayame – who had joined them just a few minutes ago – were crouched over a long, rectangular basin full of water and brightly colored gold fish. "You just… catch a fish?"

"It does seem rather silly," Inori said, a similar look of confusion on her face as well. "The prize is a pet."

"But what's fun about it… is… oh no!" Natsumi cried out as the wet paper lining in her net gave way to the weight of the goldfish on it. The fish fell back in the water with a simple _ploop. _Natsumi brought her net up to her face, staring through the hole forlornly. "Darn it…"

Three more _ploops _followed Natsumi's. Haruka shot up, tossing her net aside.

"This game is rigged," she huffed. "I didn't even want a goldfish anyway." She side eyed the basin of water, which told a different story than what she had just said.

"I was never good at this game…" Fuyuko said, standing up and responsibly disposing her broken net.

"And we can just get a goldfish from a pet store if we really want one…" Ayame said.

Aki, on the other hand was eyeing the water with a fiercely determined look. Her gaze was following the lone black goldfish in the water. With a swift swipe of her hand, Aki gently flung the fish out of the water. The goldfish soared in a perfect arc, landing in her small container full of water.

"Yes!" she said softly, but victoriously, to herself. "I got it!"

"Way to go Aki!" Ayame said, patting her on the back. "One of us had to win this game."

Inori and Orianna exchanged glances, still confused at the point of the game, but they congratulated Aki nonetheless.

"Now," Fuyuko said, taking charge. "I think we've done enough dilly dallying. It's time to get some food!"

* * *

Jonah floated above the Shopping District. Brightly colored lights washed their face, exaggerating their scowl.

"They're… celebrating? Celebrating what, exactly?"

Jonah looked down at the half sheet of metal. They had let Platania know this was the metal they needed to surpass the Industrialite, but unfortunately, she would need time to get the amount they needed to make the plan a success. Jonah stashed the metal in a pocket on their flowing, dark green trench coat.

"You'll just have to do, I guess," they said, eyeing the regular purplish black square.

* * *

First it was _yakisoba_. Then it was _taiyaki_. Then it was _takoyaki_. Then it was cotton candy, _yakisoba_ bread, and finally, bags of _konpeito_.

The girls were stuffed, yet Fuyuko was munching on a small bowl of shaved ice.

"How can you still eat?" Ayame asked, her hand resting on her stomach. "The thought of eating anything more right now makes me want to heave…"

"Fuyu-nee's always had a big stomach. She puts away so much I don't know where it goes though," Aki said. The girls all giggled while Fuyuko blushed.

After a while, the girls had made their way up the steep road that took them to the clearing where the meteor was. It was a shrine in and of itself, though this one wasn't run by anyone like Ayame's family.

"Why does this look like a shrine if no one's in charge of it?" Inori asked, as the girls passed under a _torii _gate. They were almost to their destination, and everyone but Inori and Ayame were out of breath at this point.

"It's a community thing," Fuyuko said. "Because this location is so important the island, the whole community keeps it clean and kind of pays respect in private without having to pay anyone for their services."

Inori was about to answer Fuyuko when the girls all stopped at the top of the steps. Just down below them was the crater of the meteorite. It was almost like a makeshift amphitheater. Over time, people had carved out flat sitting areas that looked like big steps that lead down to the meteor. No one said anything for a few moments.

"Wow…" Haruka breathed.

"This is… Really amazing." Inori's eyes were locked on to the meteor. It was about a dozen yards away from her but it still looked so massive from the top of the crater. The girls all walked down to the meteor. As it turned out, it was only about three feet tall. But still, Inori was enamored with it. It was just a plain, black rock with a few jagged edges, but for the most part had been smoothed over by the weather of a thousand years. "Can I touch it?"

"If you rub it, it is said to give you good luck," Aki said, walking forward to give the meteor a little rub. All the girls followed suit and took their seats towards the top of the crater so they could see the fireworks clearly.

"This is all just so amazing," Inori said after a while. "I've never experienced excitement like this before… This festival… It feels like home to me."

"Well… I doubt this will." A voice cut through the crowd. It came from a figure floating just above the meteor. Jonah smirked as they looked in Pretty Cure's direction.

"Jonah!" Natsumi cried.

"Why do humans feel the need to celebrate? And celebrate a rock from outer space, no less." Jonah looked down at the meteor with disgust. "Not my usual target, but you'll do, I suppose." Jonah pulled out the Industrialite sheet metal and let it fall on top of the meteor.

It reacted instantly, purple electricity bursting from the contact area. A moment later, a huge Industrialite stood in the center of the crater. Its glowing purple eyes cast a strange purple hue in the crater. It had a pair of floating arms that consisted of a small meteor and a bigger meteor. Festivalgoers cried in fear and terror and began scrambling to get out of the crater.

"I'll get people out of here, you five do what you need to do. Orianna, help me out," Ayame said. The girls all nodded as Ayame and Orianna raced to the entrance of the crater, directing people out.

"Let's go girls!" Natsumi said, readying her compass.

"**Pretty Cure, Direction Change!"**

"**The Fiery Southern Bird! Cure Cinder!"  
**"**The Steely Western Tiger! Cure Chrome!"  
**"**The Calm Northern Tortoise! Cure Stream!"  
**"**The Elegant Eastern Dragon! Cure Willow!"  
**"**The Sacred Central Dragon! Cure Terra!"**

"**Leading hearts on the path to justice! Compass Pretty Cure!"**

"How dare you corrupt something so precious to so many people?" Chrome shouted, enraged.

"Because no one should worship a hunk of rock," Jonah sighed. "Industrialite, attack." Jonah lazily gestured in Pretty Cure's direction and the meteor monster charged.

The girls all scattered in different directions, except for Terra who stayed where she stood.

"**Terra Block!" **Slabs of rock burst upwards from the ground but the Industrialite was nimble despite its gargantuan size. It weaved in and out of the slabs, breaking a few of them. Terra's eyes widened as it came inches from her. The Industrialite brought its big fist-like meteor back and thrust it forward. Terra quickly managed to cross her arms in front of her, but she couldn't stop herself from flying backwards from the hit.

"You can't even protect yourself… Pathetic for a new Pretty Cure…" Jonah didn't seem to be too invested in the fight. In fact, they weren't even looking for Orianna. They were just floating off on the sidelines.

"Hey!" Cinder's fists were swirling with flames as she jumped up to Jonah. "Terra is doing the best she can." Her fist connected with Jonah's cheek. The Mechanic was sent flying backwards, their back smacking into a tree. Jonah looked up at Cinder with anger.

"I remember you… And I'll remember that…" With a gust of murky green wind, Jonah disappeared.

"**Stream Bubble!" **Spheres of blue water floated in a ring around the Industrialite. Stream had her arms extended outwards, and forcefully flung them in front of her body, the spheres following her lead. Water burst from the spheres the second they made contact. But the water only seemed to annoy the Industrialite. It glowed with purple energy as it created it's own orbs of energy. Soon, black rocks formed in the center and they shot outwards from the monster.

A few collided with a swirling shield of water Stream barely managed to get up. Chrome and Willow were punching the meteors away, trying to get close to the monster.

"**Chrome… Juggernaut!" **Chrome's body flashed with silvery white light before her whole body became one piece of moving, living metal. She charged for the meteor monster. Feet pounding, rocks flying everywhere, Chrome launched herself up in the air and body slammed into the meteor.

"SSSSHHHHRRRAAAAAAA," it roared as it crashed into the ground. It began to form its meteors one more time but Chrome's anger had gotten control of her actions. She wasn't going to let this monster ruin something she held so preciously to her heart.

"**Chrome Iron Fist!" **Both of her fists glowed with white light and she brought them together, lacing her fingers. She raised her fists high above her head before bringing them down hard on the monster. A crack formed in the body as she did so.

"Hey, save some action for us!" Willow cried. **"Willow Vines!" **Willow's snake like vines wriggled their way around the Industrialite, confining its movements. It struggled to break free, but Willow kept her grip, beads of sweat running down her forehead. "I can't hold this thing for long!"

"Coming!" Cinder said, rejoining the fight. Fire again blazed around her fists, but a moment later, it began to section off and become compact, almost like fireworks that hadn't taken off yet. "Get it up in the air!"

"**Terra Stone Edge!"**

"**Stream Torrent!"**

"**Chrome Iron Fist!"**

The three Cures hit the Industrialite up into the air as Willow released her vines. Cinder bent down, storing her own energy before forcing herself up in the air.

"**Cinder… Fireworks!" **She thrust her fists in the air, the sparkling fire taking of high. They burst into a colorful display when they hit the Industrialite. "Finish it off!" Both Chrome and Terra looked at each other before nodding.

"**Pretty Cure Chrome Cannon!"**

"**Pretty Cure Terra Fissure!"**

The Industrialite began to fall to the ground. The moment it touched down, both attacks crashed into the monster, sending out a cloud of white and yellow smoke. When the smoke cleared, the meteor was back in its original place, and the sheet metal shattered into nothing.

Gold light from within the earth restored any damage the monster had done.

* * *

Everyone seemed to agree that what they had seen at the crater was some kind of elaborate show done by someone. Pretty Cure sighed with relief, as no one seemed to be too concerned.

The girls were chattering to themselves, waiting for the fireworks to start (because, no, Cinder's own fireworks were not the start of the show). Inori turned to Aki, a question on her mind.

"Hey Aki," she said. "If it's okay to ask… why do you love the story behind the Midnight Festival?"

Aki looked up at the night sky. The lack of light pollution this high up from the city below made for a surprisingly clear night sky. Aki had a small smile on her face.

"Well, I do love learning about history… But… My grandma said that… somehow it's been documented well enough that we can trace our family lineage back pretty far. Fuyuko's family and mine have lived on this island for what seems like a thousand years. So… I guess I love this story so much because it's my heritage. This is… well… it's my story, too."

Inori looked up at the sky with Aki, scooting a bit closer to her.

"Yeah, that makes a lot of sense… I think… I think I feel that way about the Celebration of the Four Directions, now that I'm a Pretty Cure and all…" Inori's voice trailed off. Aki looked to her left. The moonlight and starlight lit up Inori's face, her eyes their own pair of twinkling stars. Aki felt inspired to draw her right then and there.

"But?" Aki ventured.

"But…" Inori started. "But I want to learn to love a story and culture like you do. Here. On Shizenshima. This feels like home now. And I want to start creating my own stories and traditions and memories."

Aki didn't stay anything, but her lips curled into a big smile.

"You're such a dork," she giggled. Inori gave a small chuckle at the remark. "But I'd really like that for you, too."

"Hey, what are you two still yammering on about?" Ayame said, turning around. "The fireworks are starting!"

The girls said nothing more as the fireworks began to shoot up high in the sky. They exploded into vibrant colors. Some danced in the sky before showing off the surprises they had inside, others whined and shrieked.

Inori would never forget this night.

* * *

Preview:

Inori: I've decided!  
Natsumi: Decided what?  
Inori: Well if I'm going to live here…  
Orianna: Yeah…?  
Inori: I want to learn about this place!  
Fuyuko: Oh, do you want to get some books from the library?  
Inori: No! I want to go to school!  
Haruka, Fuyuko, Natsumi, Aki &amp; Orianna: EEEEEEEEH?

Next time on _Compass Pretty Cure!_: "Serene Plain: I want to learn more! Inori's School Decision!"


End file.
